BILL NUMBER: AB 325	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 7, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Monning)

                        FEBRUARY 10, 2011

   An act to add Section 230.5 to the Labor Code, relating to
employee rights.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 325, as amended, Bonnie Lowenthal. Employee's right to
bereavement leave.
   Existing law provides employees with the right to take time off
work without discharge or discrimination for a number of reasons.
   This bill would add the right to inquire about, request, and take
time off for bereavement leave. The provisions of the bill would not
apply to an employee who is covered by a valid collective bargaining
agreement that provides for bereavement leave and other specified
working conditions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 230.5 is added to the Labor Code, to read:
   230.5.  (a) An employer shall not discharge, discipline, or in any
manner discriminate against an employee for inquiring about,
requesting, or taking up to four days of bereavement leave 
off  upon the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling,
grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner.
   (b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Child" means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a
stepchild, a legal ward, a child of a domestic partner, or a child of
a person standing in loco parentis. This definition of a child is
applicable regardless of age or dependency status.
   (2) "Employee" means a person employed by the employer for at
least 60 days prior to the commencement of the leave.
   (3) "Parent" has the same meaning as defined in paragraph (3) of
subdivision (b) of Section 233.
   (4) "Domestic partner" has the same meaning as defined in Section
297 of the Family Code, who is registered pursuant to Part 2
(commencing with Section 298) of Division 2.5 of the Family Code.
   (5) "Sibling" means a person related to another person by blood,
adoption, or affinity through a common legal or biological parent.
   (c) The days of bereavement leave need not be consecutive.
   (d) The bereavement leave must be completed within 13 months of
the date of death of the person listed in subdivision (a).
   (e) The bereavement leave is to be unpaid, except that an employee
may use vacation, personal leave, or compensatory time off that is
otherwise available to the employee.
   (f) The employee, if requested by the employer, shall, within 30
days of  the first day of  the leave, provide documentation
of the death of the person listed in subdivision (a). "Documentation"
includes a death certificate, a published obituary, or written
verification of death, burial, or memorial services from a mortuary,
funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious institution, or
government agency.
   (g) An employee who is discharged, disciplined, or otherwise
discriminated against in terms or conditions of employment by his or
her employer because the employee has inquired about, requested, or
taken bereavement leave pursuant to this section is entitled to
reinstatement and to recover actual damages.
   (h) An employee who believes he or she has been discharged,
disciplined, or in any way discriminated against in violation of this
section may take either of the following actions:
   (1)  The employee may file a complaint with the Division of Labor
Standards Enforcement in accordance with Section 98.7.
   (2) The employee may bring a civil action for the remedies
provided in subdivision (g) in a court of competent jurisdiction. If
the employee prevails, the court may award the employee reasonable
attorney's fees.
   (i) The rights and remedies of this section are cumulative,
nonexclusive, and in addition to any other rights and remedies
afforded by contract or other provisions of law.
   (j) This section does not apply to an employee covered by a valid
collective bargaining agreement if the agreement expressly provides
for bereavement leave and the wages, hours of work, and working
conditions of the employees, and if the agreement provides premium
wage rates for all overtime hours worked, where applicable, and a
regular hourly rate of pay for those employees of not less than 30
percent more than the state minimum wage.