IMPACT Newsletter
January 2022
WELCOME TO 2022!

Jim Vigdor
Director of Government Affairs


Happy New Year from the board and staff of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce! We are bringing back the IMPACT newsletter to provide you with information about what is going on with our governments, from the City to Congress.

And while we will provide you with this information, we want to hear from you on laws and regulations which are IMPACTing your business.

We will take this information and present it to our legislators who regularly attend the Chamber’s Legislative Advocacy Forum (LAF), which you are also welcome to attend the 4th Wednesday of each month at 8 AM.

If you can’t make the LAF meeting, e-mail Jim Vigdor, Director of Government Affairs at jim@simichamber.org .
New Laws for 2022
In 2021 the Governor signed over 700 pieces of legislation into law. We have selected several key pieces of legislation to bring to your attention that will impact businesses going forward. These are merely bullet points for the actual bill. For those of you who would like to find out more detail about these and other bills please click the following link to the CA Legislative Information Bill Search Website.

Minimum Wage Increase
  • Senate Bill (SB) 3: Businesses with 26 or more employees will be required to pay a $15/hr minimum wage (Federal Minimum Wage = $7.25/hr). Businesses with less than 26 employees will have to pay $14/hr this year and $15/hr next year.

CA Family Rights Act (CFRA) Expansion
  • Assembly Bill (AB) 1033: Businesses with 5 or more employees must provide them with up to 12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period for an employee to attend to their own serious medical condition or to care for a family member with a serious medical condition. This bill expands "covered family members" to include parents-in-law.

Electronic Workplace Notices Permissible
  • SB 657: To accommodate more employees working from home, mandated state and federal workplace notice postings may now also be delivered to employees as an e-mail attachment in addition to posting these notices physically at the workplace.

Personnel Records Retention Period Extended
  • SB 807: Personnel records retention requirement has been extended from two to four years from the creation date, termination date, or applicant non-hire date. If a complaint is filed with Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the employer must retain the at-issue personnel records until the employer is notified that the action is resolved, or the first day after the statute of limitations for filing a civil action (or appeal) has expired.

Food Delivery Platforms and Workers’ Tips
  • AB 286: It is unlawful for a food delivery platform to retain any portion of tips or gratuities paid from the customer to the delivery worker.

Composting Requirement
  • SB 1383: All residents and businesses will be required to sort their organic waste out of their other waste. This program will be phased in by location and no fines will be issued until 2024.

Vote by Mail
  • AB 37: This makes permanent the 2020 Executive Order sending mail-in ballots to all registered CA voters as a safety measure during the Covid-19 pandemic in Presidential elections and expands it to include local elections. In-person voting will still be an option.

Take-out and Outdoor Cocktails Sale Expansion
  • SB 389: Pandemic period takeout alcoholic drink sale rules are extended through 2026, and customers can keep ordering alcoholic beverages in outdoor dining parking areas for the next 5 years.
LAF Legislative Advocacy Forum
The Simi Valley Chamber Legislative Advocacy Forum (LAF) meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month to discuss current legislation and its impact on businesses. Staff from the state legislature, U.S. Congress, County of Ventura, and the City of Simi Valley attend these meetings. Join us for the next meeting on Wednesday, January 26 at 8:00 AM in the Chamber. Zoom link for meeting here.

Proposed New California State Budget

Last week the Governor launched his first draft of the CA budget. Although it will be revised over the next months, we have included the Summary Charts of his proposal. Charts are here.
New Election Districts Finalized
 
As a result of the 2020 Census, new election districts will take effect after the upcoming election. As the campaign season emerges, candidates will be campaigning for election to their newly formed districts. Simi Valley will reside in Congressional District 26 (currently CD 25), State Senate District 27 (same), and State Assembly District 42 (currently AD 38). City Districts are still being developed. Links will take you to full-size maps.
State Senate District 27
Be in Compliance in 2022 and Order Your Required Employment Poster Today!

Posters are available in both English and Spanish. Businesses with one or more employees are required to post a compliant Employment Poster in a conspicuous place in the workplace where all employees and applicants can see it. If any of your company's workers are Spanish-speaking, you will need to order a Spanish version. Failure to comply can result in severe penalties and fines by the state of California.

Non-Laminated Posters: $30
Laminated Posters: $35
Non-Laminated w/ Poster Protect: $45
Laminated w/ Poster Protect: $55

What is poster protect?
Your poster(s) will automatically be replaced at no cost if any mandatory changes occur during the calendar year. Poster protect must be purchased when posters are purchased.

Remote Employees: If companies have employees that work 100% from home and never report to a headquarters or other locations, hard copies of mandatory notices should be mailed to the employees homes, where they can be posted. Otherwise, if employees do report to a physical location some of the time, ensure that appropriate notices are posted and visible in that particular location. Senate Bill 657 addresses electronic distribution of state required workplace postings; however, if an employer opts to send required notices to remote workers, the employer needs to direct the remote worker to print and post the notices, and the employer will need to reimburse for any expenses incurred by the employee to do so.