As the California legislature approached its deadline for moving bills from the house of origin to the second house, advocacy efforts led by ASA, its affiliated chapter California Staffing Professionals, and California lobbyist Mike Robson of Edelstein Gilbert Robson & Smith LLC were instrumental in derailing two California bills that would have had a major negative impact on the staffing industry.
AB 650 would have required covered employers, including health care staffing agencies, to pay hazard pay retention bonuses in 2022. AB 1192 would have required large employers to annually collect and submit wage and other worker-related statistics to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
The staffing industry worked with several business groups and trade associations, including the California Hospital Association, in opposing AB 650, urging lawmakers to reject the bill due to its cost implications. Regarding AB 1192, ASA and CSP argued that, given the varying nature of temporary assignments, temporary worker wage and other metrics submitted by staffing agencies would be misleading.
Following weeks of discussions and negotiations, both AB 650 and AB 1192 were moved to the inactive file, meaning they will not be taken up this year. Both bills can be reconsidered during the 2022 legislative session and ASA will re-engage if necessary next year.
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