Bill Text: CA AB1843 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Emergency ambulance employees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Enrolled) 2024-09-12 - Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. [AB1843 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1843-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1843

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Introduced by Assembly Member Rodriguez

January 16, 2024

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An act to amend Section 884 of the Labor Code, relating to private employment.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1843, as introduced, Rodriguez. Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act.

Under the Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 11 at the November 6, 2018, statewide general election, every emergency ambulance employee is entitled to employer-paid mental health services through an employee assistance program (EAP), and requires the EAP coverage to provide up to 10 mental health treatments per issue per calendar year. The act defines “issue” for purposes of those provisions to mean mental health conditions such as, among other things, stress, depression, or substance abuse.

This bill would instead require the EAP program to provide up to 20 mental health treatments per issue per calendar year, and would include post-traumatic stress disorder in the definition of “issue” for purposes of those provisions.

Existing law authorizes the act to be amended by a statute enacted by the Legislature with a 4/5 vote that furthers the purposes of the act.

This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Digest Key

Vote: FOUR_FIFTHS   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 884 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

884.

 Mental Health.

(a) Every emergency ambulance employee shall receive employer-paid mental health and wellness education within 30 days of being hired and shall receive employer-paid mental health and wellness education each calendar year thereafter. Mental health and wellness education shall inform emergency ambulance employees of available mental health treatments and support services and provide general information regarding common mental health illnesses.

(b) Every emergency ambulance employee shall be entitled to employer-paid mental health services through an employee assistance program (EAP). The EAP coverage shall provide up to 10 20 mental health treatments per issue, per calendar year.

(c) Every emergency ambulance employee that qualifies for or is eligible to receive employer-provided health insurance shall have access to health insurance plans that offer long-term mental health treatment services.

(d) For purposes of this section, “issue” means episodes of mental health conditions such as stress, depression, grief, loss, relationship struggles, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, parenting challenges, and other mental health conditions as described within the EAP.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which amends Section 884 of the Labor Code, is consistent with, and furthers the purpose of, the Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act.