BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 255 Page 1 Date of Hearing: July 1, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW Rudy Salas, Chair SB 255 (Liu) - As Amended June 25, 2015 SENATE VOTE: 36-0 SUBJECT: State government: Commission on the Status of Women and Girls SUMMARY: Authorizes the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (Commission) to conduct fundraising activities that charge an admission price; exempts Commission meetings conducted solely for fundraising purposes from the Bagley Keene Open Meeting Act (Bagley Keene Act); and, makes a clarifying change to the composition of the Commission. Specifically, this bill: 1)Authorizes the Commission to conduct fundraising activities that may require a payment or purchase to attend. 2)Exempts any Commission meetings conducted solely for fundraising purposes and where no other business within the purview of the Commission is discussed, deliberated, or taken action upon, from the Bagley Keene Act. 3)Specifies that the Labor Commissioner is a member of the SB 255 Page 2 Commission, instead of the Chief of the Division of Industrial Welfare, which is an obsolete position. EXISTING LAW: 1)Creates the Commission in state government consisting of 17 appointed members. 2)Vests the Commission with the powers and authority necessary to carry out its duties, including, but not limited to, accepting federal funds, gifts, donations, grants or bequests to further its purposes. 3)Establishes the Women and Girls Fund in the State Treasury in support of the Commission. Requires the Department of Finance to approve all gifts, bequests or donations collected or received by the Commission for deposit into the fund. Appropriations from the fund require legislative approval. 4)Requires all meetings of the commission to be open and public and all persons to be permitted to attend any meetings of the commission. 5)Establishes the Bagley-Keene Act, set forth in Government Code Sections 11120-11132, which generally requires all state bodies to publicly notice their meetings, prepare agendas, accept public testimony and conduct their meetings in public, absent a specific reason to meet in closed session. FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown SB 255 Page 3 COMMENTS: The Commission was established in 1965 to protect and improve opportunities for California women and girls. As an independent, nonpartisan state agency, it provides a statewide perspective to the Legislature and other policymakers on issues affecting women and girls, such as gender in the workplace; gender equity in the media; educational needs of women and girls; health and safety of women; and women in the military. SB 1038 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review), Chapter 46, Statutes of 2012, restructured the mission of the Commission and directed it to seek funding from private entities to reduce its reliance on state funding. Proceeds from non-state sources are deposited in the Women and Girls Fund in the State Treasury to be used to support the work of the Commission. The final 2015-16 State Budget includes a $500,000 General Fund appropriation to the Commission and $374,000 in the special Women and Girls Fund. According to the author, during California's recession, the budget for the Commission was substantially reduced and, pursuant to SB 1038, it was charged with raising private money to fund its operation. The author contends this task has proven particularly difficult for the Commission because, as a state body, it is also required to comply with the Bagley-Keene Act, a set of regulations not designed for entities that must also raise private funds for operation. This bill clarifies that meetings and activities conducted solely for the purpose of fundraising do not fall under the scope of Bagley-Keene and reiterates that no commission business may be discussed, deliberated, or acted upon at a meeting convened for the sole purpose of fundraising. The author states that these necessary changes will enable the Commission to focus its business meetings on the pressing issues facing California's women and girls and help stabilize funding to carry out its work. Lastly, this bill corrects the membership of the Commission to identify the Labor Commissioner, who is the acting Chief of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations, as a member, instead of the Chief of the SB 255 Page 4 Division of Industrial Welfare, a position that no longer exists. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Cassie Royce / A. & A.R. / (916) 319-3600