[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6575572,"mediaKeyId","3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60","parentId",3089049,"title","CalHR and DGS detail plans and limits for governor’s return-to-office order as unions and workers protest costs and safety risks","audioSeconds",218,"startMs",7740000,"endMs",7958000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60&start=7740&end=7958","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60/thumbnail_7740000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6575572/California/CalHR-and-DGS-detail-plans-and-limits-for-governors-return-to-office-order-as-unions-and-workers-protest-costs-and-safety-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575572-0de665a53629e7fc849278dba334d40a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773559570&Signature=JQuPR-9vzKYHLh0KV~7NMxxaYp19swXBt0zp2PizjuFP6hWp55bAcef1c~Xq9d8ZS99NH4z8RuFMd-pd0irlsxyCPKwsxJz6CkFrfVJCMbzRNJyMMRqtqdOfH~opYR-rvfe1QKPSWwPktovlj29bDJc7k3y0-~B3ZaudZ9FYl2ZTdlgl9KRhZRV6yf6dmf3WrkTdneYJFeYBcQYIBZzxB27iRFv0w-k6FjbXJKn2kWOYU7QS1PnE-z8zmxYpl7Jz~IciCpBwJIrsBY6m7mv6hJeQwhRFf8T0SKo1Dr1fSWwq0MI3gBw3~NLUZyAYWQly~b7~KS4XJD2~ZhqYnbOeBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Assembly","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","CalHR and the Department of General Services (DGS) testified to the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 about implementation support for Governor Newsom’s executive order on state workforce return-to-office (EO N-22-55). The agencies outlined resources for employees and said DGS is assisting departments with workspace and parking assessments; dozens of union leaders, state employees and scientists testified in opposition during a lengthy public comment period.

Monica Erickson, chief deputy director of CalHR, and Jason Kenney, chief deputy director for DGS, said the departments are working with agencies to assess space needs, identify workstation and parking solutions, and support employees during implementation. Erickson said CalHR has posted workforce guidance and called attention to commuting supports: “there's a bicycle commute program where you can get reimbursed for up to $240 a year,” and “mass transit and van pool commute programs where state employees can receive subsidies of up to $325 a month.” Kenney said DGS operates 24 parking lots serving about 11,000 employees in Sacramento and that the agency is evaluating options including opening an additional garage and expanding parking in constrained locations.

Both agencies emphasized that implementation is largely department-by-department: DGS said some state buildings earlier densified space during the pandemic while many departments did not reduce space, and that the agency is working to quantify additional workstation needs. Kenney said the objective is to provide a workstation for each returning employee by the July implementation target where possible, and that reintroducing one-to-one person-to-workstation ratios is “what we're working towards.” CalHR said the EO allows hybrid schedules and that many flexibility tools (leave, reasonable accommodations) remain available.

Dozens of public commenters — including union leaders, state scientists, and workers across multiple departments — urged the subcommittee to pause or reexamine the mandate. Anika Walls, president of SEIU Local 1000, told the committee: “We represent nearly a hundred thousand state workers who show up every day to keep California running.” Public speakers repeatedly raised fiscal concerns (questioning who will pay for added leases, equipment, parking), climate impacts (testimony cited a DGS telework dashboard that previously reported reduced commuting emissions), employee health and safety (concerns from immunocompromised workers and those with caregiving responsibilities), and workforce retention risks (statements that the mandate will make hiring harder and could trigger staff departures).

Several speakers noted contracts and bargaining: union and legal representatives said they have filed or intend to file unfair practice charges where they believe the administration did not meet-and-confer adequately. State employees gave concrete estimates of space shortfalls (for example, a speaker said their building lacked roughly 600 desks) and multiple witnesses asked the committee to hold a separate, dedicated hearing to examine fiscal and equity effects in depth. Committee members asked agencies for data and cautioned that the mandate may have budgetary and climate consequences; CalHR and DGS said they do not have a statewide, department-agnostic cost analysis to present immediately.

Ending: The subcommittee concluded the item after public comment and urged CalHR, DGS and DOF to return with more granular estimates of space, parking and fiscal impacts. Several committee members encouraged ongoing engagement with labor representatives and recommended further oversight hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration (1)","oneSentenceSummary","CalHR and the Department of General Services told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee they are assisting departments as they implement Governor Newsom’s return-to-office executive order, while dozens of state employees and union representatives urged the legislature to pause the policy and demanded more data on costs, parking and health impacts.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575590,"Secretary of State outlines funding requests, warns federal laws could cause mass disenfranchisement",1681,2100000,3781000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60&start=2100&end=3781","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60/thumbnail_2100000.jpg","/articles/6575590/California/Secretary-of-State-outlines-funding-requests-warns-federal-laws-could-cause-mass-disenfranchisement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575590-34446139765568e5d1dc1217c6d129fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773559570&Signature=d99LaBAmHIQfVQIQ~dS-JzNvjSaX~zGalvJSPHcYZJM6LqIciP8NMvUiNg4A9Vcz9nyN8RYo9EIOh6RnObdBBRujxUPHpdDswow71COtcay1TWEPnAKaJ5Wz1c0dHN745SgrRLBrOm7qwUwvQdV2pj13wQbkZ23jgRndxPrTBVrylYoE~22MRWmnq1KZica99nIbXBPjKpHAotZMtr5~Dx8xgLKEpaBn-9p5vwXMwPXaMhDolHlMrERrDXhAcJsvI7xE261COjfIMh6tr9cEHgAGxTW04ZvU70n6lmRCSE-kDFAoJSKsyU0Ax6KwtRa3E2roOgB7rMTUWNJ86y2lEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber and agency staff told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration that the office needs one-time and federal spending authority to modernize campaign and voter systems, and warned that pending federal measures could force California to shoulder large, unspecified costs to protect voters.

Weber, the state’s chief elections officer, opened the subcommittee hearing saying California ran “an amazing election” despite threats and that “we take this task of being your secretary of state, particularly in terms of election very seriously.” Tamara Johnson, chief financial officer for the Secretary of State, then presented three budget-change proposals (BCPs), including requests connected to the state’s campaign disclosure and voter-registration systems.

The agency requested a one-time $15,000,000 General Fund authorization to continue the Cal Access replacement project (CARS), which Johnson said is operating within an approved project budget and is expected to roll out to users in November 2026. Johnson described CARS as “the Cal Access replacement project” that will implement a data-driven replacement of the current, forms-driven campaign disclosure system required by the Political Reform Act. The agency also requested one-time federal trust fund spending authority of $10,900,000 to support VoteCal maintenance and security work and other Help America Vote Act (HAVA)-related activities, Johnson said.

On federal threats to state election administration, agency staff warned the subcommittee that if a pending presidential executive order and the SAFE Act (federal legislation discussed in the hearing) were enforced together the state lacks the resources to avoid “massive voter disenfranchisement.” Tamara Johnson said the short answer to whether California has the resources to protect voters if those federal requirements are imposed is “no,” and described multiple likely impacts: millions of additional requests to county recorders for birth certificates, costly upgrades to county information technology systems, and the need for significant additional staffing to verify documentary proof of citizenship, process records and run expanded outreach.

Jenna Lee, chief of the Elections Division, said noncitizen registrations are “extremely rare,” and described current safeguards: citizenship is attested by registrants under penalty of perjury and federal law protections for overseas and military voters (UOCAVA) remain in place. LAO analyst Nick Schroeder told the subcommittee that the constitutional structure of U.S. elections makes states responsible for administration and that if the state imposes new requirements on counties it may be treated as a reimbursable state mandate, which could create additional state fiscal exposure.

Weber and staff emphasized voter-access programs and the scale of California’s electorate: Weber said more than 83 percent of eligible Californians are registered to vote and the state has over 22 million registered voters. Officials repeatedly said they have not produced a dollar estimate of the cost to comply with the proposed federal changes; Johnson said the “cost and impacts would be significant and extremely costly” and “we do not have any dollar estimates at this time.”

Why it matters: The subcommittee is considering budget authority for systems that underpin campaign disclosure and the official statewide voter file. The combination of program funding decisions (CARS and VoteCal operations) and the possibility of federal mandates that change documentary proof requirements positions both the state and 58 counties to face uncertain and potentially large implementation costs.

The secretary of state’s office asked the subcommittee for continued funding to complete CARS and for federal spending authority for VoteCal maintenance. Subcommittee members pressed staff about fee revenue streams (for example, the $50 annual committee fee written into the Political Reform Act and a lobbyist registration fee) as potential offsets to general-fund requests; Kira Rasmussen, assistant division chief of the Political Reform Division, said the $50 fee is deposited to the Political Accountability and Transparency fund and has not been revisited in statute. Johnson said federal HAVA funds supporting VoteCal are currently placed into an interest-bearing account when drawn down and that the office does not believe those federal funds are at immediate risk of clawback.

The hearing produced no final votes. The requests were presented for committee consideration and staff answered subcommittee questions; officials said more fiscal detail on specific fees and collections could be provided to legislative staff.

Ending: Committee members expressed strong support for protecting voting access and for completing system modernization, while also pressing for follow-up detail on fee collections and clearer estimates of potential costs if federal documentary proof requirements were enforced. The subcommittee did not take an immediate vote on the BCPs during the hearing.","Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber and agency staff told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration that the office needs one-time and federal spending authority to modernize campaign and voter systems, and warned that pending federal measures could force California to shoulder large, unspecified costs to protect voters.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575576,"CalHR seeks multimillion-dollar outreach budget to recruit a more diverse state workforce",360,7560000,7920000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60&start=7560&end=7920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60/thumbnail_7560000.jpg","/articles/6575576/California/CalHR-seeks-multimillion-dollar-outreach-budget-to-recruit-a-more-diverse-state-workforce","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575576-f03a9f0de1d49891b3bf5c3b566c179a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773559570&Signature=NwN3aeD-kU6scfsvLZCIyt0aCUFs7tYxIgGOvGJQkrgfgCg-QuadynUWKvKYZSKv7WUXMzNk0Dh5eXShOWdun99HklgnK3vqY~MOiFy2geOG~U3XzjXIFgend1rA1BcOgFpKkjk5CY2ATiE~JR77E~CZ6XeOQy9uR9Tjf7IUiKhtrqKDklESavro~w8jbUJizpXMn1LTm1Zegum450O7Rjd1KsqQ4g8ccDgHjTF1kEfgySLVE~5xKHZf9H6H9KFRMz3IzsVn1Y4JHzvnD7Y1nqcZk8egaSoQRFyKr0W6ArIAd8-C-dKwmsjgErbp-40tfWQKwL2soDnYQ6XukCykkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) asked the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for funding to expand statewide recruitment outreach and paid media targeted to ethnic and community outlets.

Monica Erickson, chief deputy director of CalHR, said the department’s baseline budget for 2024-25 was roughly $132 million and 454 positions and that the 2025-26 request would add $7,000,000 and two positions, bringing CalHR’s proposed total to about $139 million and 456 positions. Erickson said the request includes one permanent position and $5,200,000 devoted to community advertising and outreach; she said the $5.2 million includes $5,000,000 in general fund contract dollars each year beginning in 2025-26 and continuing through 2028-29 to target ethnic and community media as called for by AB 1511.

Camille Travis, deputy director of communications, told members that CalHR currently has a modest advertising budget — about $250,000 — and that the requested funds would expand the agency’s ability to reach diverse communities and support recruitment and retention. Department of Finance staff had no comment and the LAO offered no recommendation during the hearing.

Why it matters: CalHR said the proposed contract dollars would be used to expand outreach to communities that statewide recruitment historically under-reaches, and that the funds are intended to invest back into local ethnic and community media outlets. Committee members noted the scale of the increase relative to the existing advertising budget and signaled they would evaluate the request alongside other budget priorities.

Ending: CalHR presented the BCP and answered questions; the subcommittee did not vote on the request during the hearing.","CalHR requested $7 million and two positions in 2025-26 including $5.2 million for a paid-media and community outreach campaign to implement AB 1511 recruitment objectives and expand ethnic and community media advertising.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575580,"State Comptroller seeks $9.1 million to continue migration of the State Controller's book of record to FISCal",750,9480000,10230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60&start=9480&end=10230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60/thumbnail_9480000.jpg","/articles/6575580/California/State-Comptroller-seeks-91-million-to-continue-migration-of-the-State-Controllers-book-of-record-to-FISCal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575580-72ab7936e0d4c9c715da969797f1350a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773559570&Signature=HZn5uNkzrveaL5lMrM1plJ~KTVc7FpZTczWyuxPnw1~Nml2gMYdgUVbbCYv~eL7LTLY51rEGS9zZYw-CRV0JQasXrbKRKWLMNcJpkYz42JTZj82wyNx3CloNDp6wWWONQOpyrnEpbDa29ZYzsKrGCux79QCoLfxRK7c141JeRhj9cvgtuQAkAULC2F8iGYlQz4Tgkm5h31hWBDZ-Y0KnFBb50vYa3AaqLo~VC0hyLx~xS2d0QGB8yiI4EzzLaHPEby4IRi6AbeLhRsKou3-QR6xRJrE~gm2jumbbvkafdNCYAQjYYIIG~Xuq-fNXr0oVT04kAnXY8Gsnu~Xbyah92w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The State Comptroller’s Office told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee that it is requesting $9,100,000 to continue consulting services needed to migrate the State Controller’s Office (SCO) book of record functions into the statewide financial management system, FISCal.

Jennifer Urban, chief of Budgets and Accounting for the State Comptroller’s Office, said the SCO request supports continued work by a business integrator and consulting teams to finalize the “book of record” migration. Urban described the migration as one of the largest financial business transformations the state has undertaken and said the State Controller’s Office is the last of four statewide business partners to transition core accounting and financial reporting to FISCal. Brett Ledeen, the director of FISCal, said he had been on the job nearly three months and is supporting the effort.

Urban told members that FISCal and the SCO legacy systems continue to run in parallel while book-of-record functionalities are migrated. She said the office remains on track to complete the book-of-record cutover on July 1, 2026, and described the consulting support as critical to stakeholder adoption and to alignment of internal business processes. Dominic Cadera of the Department of Finance told the committee the department supports the BCP and the planned July 1, 2026 completion date.

No public speakers came forward on the item. Committee members expressed cautious optimism and asked for continued updates on schedule and risk. The subcommittee did not take a vote on the BCP during the hearing.

Ending: The office will continue monthly coordination with the Department of Finance and FISCal program leadership; the subcommittee requested ongoing status reports as FISCal adoption approaches the July 2026 book-of-record switch.","The State Comptroller's Office told the subcommittee it requests $9.1 million to continue consulting support for migrating the State Controller's Office book of record to FISCal; officials said SEO is the last of four partners to make the migration with a target book-of-record cutover on July 1, 2026.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575585,"EDD says paid family leave claims rose after system transition; department hiring to address backlog",430,4920000,5350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60&start=4920&end=5350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089049-a08a07bcfbe8b7050776973eeccb0c60/thumbnail_4920000.jpg","/articles/6575585/California/EDD-says-paid-family-leave-claims-rose-after-system-transition-department-hiring-to-address-backlog","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575585-7a14173ef4609b6a5f53c7bdd1c1c29d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773559570&Signature=orljfoJATprBUHsZ1UOGmQslyIRnK07Osj9omJlEzrpKKRybl9PP9wdc9gaSpH34ySbzOvu8dkNMMgBPmy96WfAH4zJPF5-hKQKar2RQE5QpIT1UEztdZhcvwM75RCUclwsZV29BeYWYrNJQgqgsBBlJuQFHfROFObVjyG2Ua20svv0A2rBcfdvC-Dp3NjIyTJ4TtXpIxyUqAvdzHIndB614LP-xXr2l3~vnPx84AhZmjgVggTxA4BepPxfnHXF6XliYejVqSSnj9Lw155u5ELT1E~Jz23mX8X3VTdF~E2ds-vJ1Oj~DSz-l9okTPG5KNEXIdYgGAAp3x9Vz6KJC7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from the Employment Development Department told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 that paid family leave (PFL) processing slowed during a systems transition but that EDD has redirected staff, begun new hires and will simplify forms to improve customer experience.

Gracia Staten, deputy director of the disability insurance branch (which includes PFL), said internal changes — moving from a manual process into a single, integrated platform used by State Disability Insurance — and increased duplicate applications caused a slowdown late in 2024. Staten said EDD redirected resources, required overtime and weekend work and has begun hiring to expand capacity; the department reported roughly 404 hires in recent months for unemployment insurance and related processing work.

Staten described ongoing work to expand automation and to simplify claimant-facing forms and status tools with the department’s IT branch. EDD added that the paid family leave program provides up to eight weeks of wage replacement for workers caring for family, bonding with a new child, or participating in qualifying military events; disability insurance can provide up to 52 weeks in certain circumstances. The department said the program covers more than 18 million workers through payroll contributions and that PFL claims have increased about 205 percent overall since the program’s inception.

LAO staff said the department’s platform and process changes leave EDD in a better position than during the pandemic, though they cautioned that unforeseen surges remain possible. During discussion committee members asked whether outreach or greater public awareness accounts for increased PFL use; EDD said outreach and advertising have increased and that outreach plus service improvements are underway.

Public commenters included worker-advocacy and union voices who asked the subcommittee to support budget requests to expand PFL eligibility (for example, allowing “chosen family” to be covered) and to fund outreach. Sala Steiger of Legal Aid at Work urged support for PFL coverage of chosen family, calling it an equity measure. Union representatives testified in favor of expanding definitions and increasing outreach funding to improve equity for LGBTQ and immigrant communities.

Ending: The subcommittee heard that EDD has taken immediate operational steps to address PFL delays, is hiring additional staff, and plans plain-language improvements to the online claim experience. Committee members asked for additional data; EDD agreed to provide claim-volume and processing metrics to legislative staff.","EDD officials told the subcommittee a systems transition and rising claims briefly slowed paid family leave (PFL) processing in late 2024, that the department has hired staff and is simplifying forms, and that PFL usage has grown substantially since the program began.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

CalHR and DGS detail plans and limits for governor’s return-to-office order as unions and workers protest costs and safety risks

Secretary of State outlines funding requests, warns federal laws could cause mass disenfranchisement

CalHR seeks multimillion-dollar outreach budget to recruit a more diverse state workforce

State Comptroller seeks $9.1 million to continue migration of the State Controller's book of record to FISCal

EDD says paid family leave claims rose after system transition; department hiring to address backlog