Amended  IN  Senate  April 18, 2024
Amended  IN  Senate  March 19, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1264

Introduced by Senator Grove

February 15, 2024

An act to amend Section 12954 of the Government Code, relating to employment discrimination.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1264, as amended, Grove. Employment discrimination: cannabis use.
Existing law prohibits an employer from discriminating against a person in hiring, termination, or a term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalizing a person because of the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace or an employer-required drug screening test that has found the person to have nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids. Existing law exempts certain applicants and employees from those provisions, including applicants and employees hired for positions that require a federal government background investigation or security clearance, as specified.
This bill would also exempt from those provisions specified other applicants and employees in sworn or nonsworn positions within law enforcement agencies, including applicants and employees who have functions related to civil enforcement matters, animal control, or coroner functions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 12954 of the Government Code is amended to read:

12954.
 (a) (1) Except as specified in subdivision (c), it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalizing a person, if the discrimination is based upon any of the following:
(A) The person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. This paragraph does not prohibit an employer from discriminating in hiring, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a person based on scientifically valid preemployment drug screening conducted through methods that do not screen for nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites.
(B) An employer-required drug screening test that has found the person to have nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to an to:
(A) An employee in the building and construction trades.
(B) Applicants to, or employees in, sworn or unsworn positions within law enforcement who have or would have functions or activities related to any of the following:
(i) The apprehension, incarceration, or correction of criminal offenders.
(ii) Civil enforcement matters.
(iii) Dispatch and other public safety communications.
(iv) Evidence gathering and processing.
(v) Law enforcement records.
(vi) Animal control.
(vii) Community service duties.
(viii) Public administrator or public guardian duties.
(ix) Coroner functions.
(b) Except as specified in subdivision (c), it is unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis.
(c) Information about a person’s prior cannabis use obtained from the person’s criminal history is subject to subdivisions (a) and (b), unless the employer is permitted to consider or inquire about that information under Section 12952 or other state or federal law.
(d) This section does not permit an employee to possess, to be impaired by, or to use, cannabis on the job, or affect the rights or obligations of an employer to maintain a drug- and alcohol-free workplace, as specified in Section 11362.45 of the Health and Safety Code, or any other rights or obligations of an employer specified by state or federal law or regulation.
(e) This section does not preempt state or federal laws requiring applicants or employees to be tested for controlled substances, including laws and regulations requiring applicants or employees to be tested, or the manner in which they are tested, as a condition of employment, receiving federal funding or federal licensing-related benefits, or entering into a federal contract.
(f) This section does not apply to applicants or employees hired for positions that require a federal government background investigation or security clearance in accordance with regulations issued by the United States Department of Defense pursuant to Part 117 of Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or equivalent regulations applicable to other agencies.

(g)This section does not apply to applicants to or employees in sworn or nonsworn positions within law enforcement agencies who have or would have functions or activities related to any of the following:

(1)The apprehension, incarceration, or correction of criminal offenders.

(2)Civil enforcement matters.

(3)Dispatch and other public safety communications.

(4)Evidence gathering and processing.

(5)Law enforcement records.

(6)Animal control.

(7)Community services duties.

(8)Public administrator or public guardian duties.

(9)Coroner functions.