SB 866 Summary

• Expands payroll deduction authorization for employee organizations and bona fide associations to all public employers (state, counties, cities, UC, CSU, Judicial Council, transit districts) beyond current limited coverage, requiring employers to honor deduction requests and allowing organizations to certify employee authorizations without submitting copies unless disputes arise.

• Prohibits public employers from deterring employees or job applicants from joining employee organizations or authorizing union dues deductions; requires employers to meet and confer with exclusive representatives before disseminating mass communications about employee rights to union membership.

• Grants exclusive representatives mandatory access to new employee orientations with at least 10 days' notice and requires confidentiality of orientation dates, times, and locations from unauthorized parties.

• Reforms state civil service hiring and promotion procedures by eliminating restrictions on continuous examination eligibility, expanding transfer eligibility between promotional lists, and removing Department of Human Resources approval requirements for certain appointments.

• Establishes Pre-Release Construction Trades Certificate Program for incarcerated persons; creates prison-to-employment program for formerly incarcerated and justice-involved individuals; establishes 3-year pilot program in Sacramento and Los Angeles counties for employment of adults with autism.