Bill Text: CA AB1424 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Occupational safety and health: cannabis delivery employee.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1424 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1424-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 03, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1424


Introduced by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer

February 17, 2023


An act to amend Section 6311 of the Labor Code, add Section 26091 to the Business and Professions Code, relating to occupational safety and health.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1424, as amended, Jones-Sawyer. Occupational safety and health: cannabis delivery employee.
The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 (AUMA), an initiative measure, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA), among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. MAUCRSA establishes the Department of Cannabis Control within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to administer the act.
This bill would require a cannabis delivery employer, as defined, to develop, implement, and maintain specified driver safety protocols allowing a cannabis delivery employee, as defined, to not complete a delivery if the delivery would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or fellow employees, providing for notification and documentation procedures relating to incomplete deliveries, and providing information relating to worker retaliation protections. The bill would impose various requirements on a cannabis delivery employer relating to access to the driver safety protocols, including requiring the employer to make the protocols available to the Department of Cannabis Control upon request. The bill would require a cannabis delivery employer to notify the department upon being notified or becoming aware of an attempted robbery, injury, or death in the course of a delivery. The bill would also require a cannabis delivery employer to ensure that containers used in the delivery of cannabis goods do not indicate that the delivery employee is carrying cannabis goods, as specified.
Existing law prohibits an employee from being laid off or discharged for refusing to perform work in violation of prescribed safety standards, where the violation would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or fellow employees. Existing law creates a cause of action for wages for the time an employee laid off or discharged for a refusal is without work as a result. Existing law authorizes an employee who believes they have been discharged or otherwise discriminated against in violation of that provision to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner, as specified.

This bill would prohibit a cannabis delivery employee, as defined, from being laid off, discharged, or subject to an adverse employment action for refusing to perform work in violation of prescribed safety standards or work that would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or fellow employees. The bill would create a cause of action for wages for the time an employee is without work as a result of a violation of that bill provision and would authorize an employee who believes they have been discharged or otherwise discriminated against in violation of that bill provision to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner, as specified.

This bill would create a rebuttable presumption that the cannabis delivery employer violates the above-described prohibition if the employer lays off, discharges, or subjects an employee to an adverse employment action within 90 days of the employee reporting or documenting an incomplete delivery or refusing to complete a delivery that would create a real and apparent hazard, as described above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 26091 is added to the Business and Professions Code, immediately following Section 26090, to read:

26091.
 (a) A cannabis delivery employer shall develop and implement on or before July 1, 2024, and maintain written driver safety protocols that shall include, at minimum, all of the following:
(1) A policy that allows a cannabis delivery employee to not complete a delivery if the delivery would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or fellow employees.
(2) Procedures for a cannabis delivery employee to notify and contact the cannabis delivery employer about the incomplete delivery.
(3) Procedures for a cannabis delivery employee to document the undelivered cannabis goods into the track-and-trace system with information on the reason for not completing the delivery, including, but not limited to, attempted robbery, robbery, or unsafe working conditions.
(4) Information on local and state worker retaliation protections and how to file a claim with the Labor Commissioner if a worker has been retaliated against.
(b) (1) A cannabis delivery employer shall keep the driver safety protocols at the licensed premises.
(2) A cannabis delivery employer shall ensure that the driver safety protocols are easily accessible to cannabis delivery employees during operating hours.
(3) A cannabis delivery employer shall make the driver safety protocols available for inspection by the department upon request.
(c) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a cannabis delivery employer has violated Section 6311 of the Labor Code if the cannabis delivery employer lays off, discharges, or takes an adverse action against an employee within 90 days of the employee doing either of the following:
(1) Reporting or documenting incomplete deliveries due to safety concerns pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) Refusing to complete a cannabis delivery that would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or fellow employees.
(d) If a cannabis delivery employer is notified or becomes aware of an attempted robbery, injury, or death in the course of a delivery, the cannabis delivery employer shall notify the department within 48 hours. Notification to the department may include, but is not limited to, email, telephone, or another method the employer uses to communicate with the department.
(e) A cannabis delivery employer shall ensure that all bags, satchels, pouches or containers used by a cannabis delivery employee in the delivery of cannabis goods shall not have any marking or other indications on the exterior of the container that may indicate that the cannabis delivery employee is carrying cannabis goods.
(f) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Cannabis delivery employee” means an employee of a retailer, microbusiness, or nonprofit licensed pursuant to this division, delivering cannabis or cannabis products.
(2) “Cannabis delivery employer” means a retailer, microbusiness, or nonprofit, licensed pursuant to this division, that conducts delivery of cannabis or cannabis products.

SECTION 1.Section 6311 of the Labor Code is amended to read:
6311.

(a)An employee shall not be laid off or discharged for refusing to perform work in the performance of which this code, including Section 6400, an occupational safety or health standard, or a safety order of the division or standards board will be violated, where the violation would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or their fellow employees. Any employee who is laid off or discharged in violation of this section or is otherwise not paid because the employee refused to perform work in the performance of which this code, an occupational safety or health standard, or a safety order of the division or standards board will be violated and where the violation would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or their fellow employees shall have a right of action for wages for the time the employee is without work as a result of the layoff or discharge. Notwithstanding Section 6303 or other law, as used in this section, “employee” includes a domestic work employee, except for a person who performs household domestic service that is publicly funded, including publicly funded household domestic service provided to a recipient, client, or beneficiary with a share of cost in that service.

(b)A cannabis delivery employee shall not be laid off, discharged, or subject to an adverse employment action for refusing to perform work that would violate this code, an occupational safety or health standard, or a safety order of the division or standards board or for refusing to perform work that would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or their fellow employees. A cannabis delivery employee who is laid off, discharged, or otherwise not paid because the employee refused to perform work that would violate this code, an occupational safety or health standard, or a safety order of the division or standards board or for refusing to perform work that would create a real and apparent hazard to the employee or their fellow employees shall have a right of action for wages for the time the employee is without work as a result of the adverse employment action. For purposes of this subdivision, “cannabis delivery employee” means an employee of a retailer, microbusiness, or nonprofit, licensed pursuant to Division 10 (commencing with Section 26000) of the Business and Professions Code, delivering cannabis or cannabis products.

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