IMPACT Newsletter
February 2022

We want to hear from you on laws and regulations which are IMPACTing your business.
Send an E-mail to Jim Vigdor at jim@simichamber.org, or attend the Legislative Advocacy Forum on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 8:00 AM.

Jim Vigdor
Director of Government Affairs
Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce
What Some Small Companies Are Doing
to Attract Employees
We have heard from many of our business members how difficult it is to find suitable candidates for their job openings. Here is a list of ideas that some creative small businesses around the nation are doing to fill their open positions:

  • Utilize multiple employment agencies to find the right candidate
  • Use alternative online resources to post your job openings (e.g. you can post your job openings on the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce website here).
  • Allow paid time off sooner to newly hired employees.
  • Offer more hybrid/flexible work schedules to full time employees commencing at non-traditional hours or fill work hours with part time staff based upon candidate need and what your business can accommodate.
  • Tactically offer higher wages.
  • Adopt a work-from-home option where feasible.
  • Provide re-skilling or up-skilling training for employees. As a result of the pandemic, many people are looking to change industries.
  • Help workers find affordable, quality childcare; partner with some childcare organizations or have childcare on site if practical.
  • Seek candidates from traditionally-overlooked talent pools such as veterans, military spouses, or minority groups.
  • Foster a positive work environment that will attract the right candidates.

If these don’t apply to your situation, we hope it may at least foster some creative thinking to help you find ways to attract the right candidates.
AB 1993: California COVID-19
Vaccination Mandate

Members of the California State Legislature have authored a bill effective January 1, 2023 requiring businesses to have their employees show valid proof of vaccination. It includes independent contractors who are eligible, and provides an exception for those with substantiated proof of a medical condition, disability, or sincerely held religious beliefs. The bill implements an unspecified fine for those businesses who are in violation.

For more detailed information on AB 1993 please click this link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1993

The Simi Valley Chamber wants to hear your position on this pending piece of legislation.

Please take the poll below and let us know if you support (Yes) or oppose (No) this legislation. In addition, please e-mail Jim Vigdor, Director of Government Affairs at jim@simichamber.org and let us know how this bill might directly impact your business, so we can advocate with our state legislators on your behalf.

Or join our February Legislative Advocacy Forum (LAF) meeting by Zoom on Wednesday, February 23rd at 8 AM. Zoom id:  852 5487 4186.
Do you support AB 1993 for the Covid-19 vaccination mandate?
Yes
No
LAF Legislative Advocacy Forum
The Simi Valley Chamber Legislative Advocacy Forum (LAF) meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month to discuss current legislation and its impact on businesses. Staff from the state legislature, U.S. Congress, County of Ventura, and the City of Simi Valley attend these meetings.

Join us for the next meeting on Wednesday, February 23rd at 8:00 AM in the Chamber. Zoom link for meeting here.

Simi Valley City Council Votes to Maintain Current Election Districts
Every 10 years, the City of Simi Valley must use new census data to review, and if needed, redraw election district lines based upon population shifts. Following the directives of the January 1, 2020 FAIR MAPS Act, the city conducted numerous public forums and created a webpage with its consultant, the National Demographics Corporation, enabling the public the opportunity to propose changes and/or maps based upon population.

After reviewing all pertinent information, the council determined that the current district map remained within the required 10% deviation between most and least populous districts (at 3.76%). At the February 14th City Council Meeting, the council adopted City Ordinance 1334 maintaining the current election district maps.

The City of Simi Valley Interactive District Map can be found at:
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COVID-19 Indoor Mask Mandates Expire
The State of California and the County of Ventura, in adherence with the State, have allowed the Covid-19 Indoor Mask Mandate to expire for vaccinated individuals. While the mandate is lifted, the CDC still recommends the use of versions of the N-95 masks to help minimize communication of the Covid-19 virus. Businesses may still opt to require masks at their locations as do the Ventura County Court buildings. 
The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce has FREE masks and hand sanitizers for all Simi Valley businesses.

Please contact the Chamber at 805-526-3900 for more information or visit www.simichamber.org
Legislative Corner
We Want to Hear from You!
Over the course of the year, the Chamber will be tracking bills as they move through the legislative process, and we want to hear from you about the impact these bills may have on your business - positively or negatively. We will share your input with our legislators to make sure they are aware of the impact various bills to your business. Please e-mail your feedback to jim@simichamber.org.
Of Note:

Restoring Tax Credits – In anticipation of another year of massive budget surpluses, the Governor proposed restoring the full use of tax credits, including the research and development tax credit, and the ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards previously suspended.     
  • The legislature may also act on additional incentives, including:
  • State tax conformity for California recipients of federal relief grants in significantly impacted industries.
  • Waiver of initial filing fees for new businesses.
  • Support for small businesses previously waitlisted in prior rounds of the Small Business Covid Relief Grant Program.
Legislative Bill Tracker
Bills Still Moving
These bills are still moving through the legislature, and we welcome your input on whether you support or oppose these bills, and information on how they would impact your business. 

AB 1001* – Creates subjective, non-quantifiable standards for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that could threaten California’s economic recovery and ability to construct housing. Also removes local government discretion to analyze and mitigate proposed project impact, which increases project expense. Status: Passed in the Assembly

SB 213* – Increases Worker’s Compensation costs for public and private hospitals, creating a presumption that certain diseases (e.g., Covid) are caused by the workplace; establishes a precedent for expanding presumptions into the private sector. Status: Passed in the Senate.

AB 257 Holds franchisors responsible for all conduct by individual franchisees. Establishes a Fast Food Sector Council with authority to write its own labor and employment laws for fast-food restaurant employees, circumventing State Legislature and other regulatory agencies. Status: Passed in the Assembly.

*Designated Job Killer by CalChamber

Bills Which Failed to Pass

AB 1400 – Single Payer Health Care Act – California provides health insurance to all; significant tax increases to pay for it.
AB 995 – Imposed new costs and leave requirements on all employers, expanded sick days.
AB 1192 – Placed administrative burdens on employers, requiring them to publish private salary and benefit information on the Labor and Workforce Development Agency’s website.
AB 1218 – Imposed a “feebate” structure on manufacturers, in effect increasing the cost of all vehicles in their fleet, including light-duty vehicles used by commercial and industrial businesses.
 
These bills have the potential to be brought back in another format.

For more detailed information on these bills going through the CA State Legislature, please go to the “California Legislative Information” website and enter the bill number: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml.
Be in Compliance in 2022 and Order Your Required Employment Poster Today!

Posters are available in both English and Spanish. Businesses with one or more employees are required to post a compliant Employment Poster in a conspicuous place in the workplace where all employees and applicants can see it. If any of your company's workers are Spanish-speaking, you will need to order a Spanish version. Failure to comply can result in severe penalties and fines by the state of California.

Non-Laminated Posters: $30
Laminated Posters: $35
Non-Laminated w/ Poster Protect: $45
Laminated w/ Poster Protect: $55

What is poster protect?
Your poster(s) will automatically be replaced at no cost if any mandatory changes occur during the calendar year. Poster protect must be purchased when posters are purchased.

Remote Employees: If companies have employees that work 100% from home and never report to a headquarters or other locations, hard copies of mandatory notices should be mailed to the employees homes, where they can be posted. Otherwise, if employees do report to a physical location some of the time, ensure that appropriate notices are posted and visible in that particular location. Senate Bill 657 addresses electronic distribution of state required workplace postings; however, if an employer opts to send required notices to remote workers, the employer needs to direct the remote worker to print and post the notices, and the employer will need to reimburse for any expenses incurred by the employee to do so.