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AP17:121

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2017
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Requires Private-Sector Emergency Ambulance Employees To Remain On Call During Work Breaks. Changes Other Conditions Of Employment. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures today.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

REQUIRES PRIVATE-SECTOR EMERGENCY AMBULANCE EMPLOYEES TO REMAIN ON CALL DURING WORK BREAKS. CHANGES OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Makes the labor law that entitles hourly employees to take work (meal and rest) breaks without being on call inapplicable to private-sector emergency ambulance employees. Regulates timing of meal breaks for these employees. Exempts employers from potential liability for violations of existing law regarding work breaks. Requires employers to pay for employees to be trained regarding certain emergency incidents, violence prevention, and mental health and wellness. Requires employers to provide employees with certain mental-health services. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Local government net savings likely in the tens of millions of dollars annually due to lower emergency ambulance contract costs. (17-0043.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1839 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 17-0043.

The proponent of the measure, Sean Henschel, must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than June 27, 2018. The proponent can be reached c/o Kurt Oneto at (916) 446-6752.

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