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<ns0:Id>20250SB__122799INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Durazo</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Durazo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 3150) to Chapter 4 of Division 3 of the Labor Code, relating to employment.</ns0:Title>
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<ns0:Subject>Department of Industrial Relations: apprenticeship pilot program.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law provides for the establishment of apprenticeship programs in various trades, to be approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations in any trade in the state or in a city or trade area whenever the apprentice training needs justify the establishment. </html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the Department of Human Resources to partner with the bargaining units representing employees of DIR to design and develop an apprenticeship pilot program that addresses DIR’s staffing challenges. The bill would require the design, development, and administration of the program to meet specified requirements, including being consistent with the constitutional merit principle applicable to civil service employment. The bill would
include related legislative findings and declarations.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
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(1)
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Staff shortages undermine the ability of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) to enforce labor law in California.
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<html:p>
(2)
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In recent years, DIR has had vacancy rates in excess of 25 percent with hundreds of positions in its labor law enforcement divisions remaining vacant for extended periods.
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(3)
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Recent investigations of DIR by the California State Auditor demonstrate the way inadequate staffing at the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement weakens the state’s
enforcement of California’s worker protections statutes, limiting DIR’s investigative reach, and contributing to workload backlogs and long case processing timelines.
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<html:p>
(4)
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Registered apprenticeship is a time-tested, skills- and merit-based means of developing and staffing workforces in numerous sectors of the economy.
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<html:p>
(5)
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Registered apprenticeship programs can provide pathways to good paying jobs, providing family sustaining wages with competitive benefits and retirement packages.
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<html:p>
(6)
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Apprenticeship has provided career pathways to middle-class jobs for members of historically marginalized communities.
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<html:p>
(7)
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The State of California has historically used apprenticeship programs as means to staff civil service positions at the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Transportation.
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(8)
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Courts have given a “free hand” to the Legislature “to fashion laws relating to personnel administration for the best interests of the [s]tate,” provided that these laws are consistent with the merit principle contained in the California Constitution, as discussed in California State Personnel Bd. v. California State Employees Assn., Local 1000, SEIU, AFL-CIO (2005) 36 Cal.4th 758, 767.
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(b)
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Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to promote the interest of the state and California’s workers by supporting apprenticeship as a means to address longstanding staffing inadequacies at the Department of Industrial Relations.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Article 9 (commencing with Section 3150) is added to Chapter 4 of Division 3 of the
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, to read:
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<ns0:Num>9.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Department of Industrial Relations Apprenticeship Pilot Program</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>3150.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>This article shall be known and may be cited as the Department of Industrial Relations Apprenticeship Pilot Program.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>3151.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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“Apprenticeship program” or “program” means the apprenticeship pilot program or programs established pursuant to this article
</html:p>
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(b)
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“CalHR” means the Department of Human Resources.
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(c)
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“Constitutional merit principle” means the merit principle contained in subdivision (b) of Section 1 of Article VII of the California Constitution.
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(d)
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“Department” means the Department of Industrial Relations.
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<ns0:Num>3152.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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On or before _____,the department and CalHR shall partner with the bargaining units representing employees of the department to design and develop an apprenticeship program that addresses the department’s staffing challenges.
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(b)
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The design, development, and administration of the apprenticeship program shall meet both of the following requirements:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Use the meet and confer process, collective bargaining, and joint apprenticeship committees in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of the Ralph C. Dills Act (Chapter 10. 3 (commencing with Section 3512) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code), the Shelley-Maloney Apprenticeship Labor Standards Act of 1939
(Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3), and the provisions of this code governing apprenticeship.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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Be consistent with the constitutional merit principle, including, but not limited to, both of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
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Selection for participation in an apprenticeship, which shall be in accordance with court interpretations of the constitutional merit principle.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
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Completion of an apprenticeship under the program, which shall be merit-based in accordance with court interpretation of the constitutional merit principle.
</html:p>
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(c)
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Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, a joint apprenticeship committee operating under this section shall have all powers afforded to it by this code.
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(d)
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This section shall not be construed to limit the jurisdiction or authority of the State Personnel Board with respect to the powers and authorities granted to it under the California Constitution.
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