AB 120

Under current law, municipal employees who are public safety employees, such

as police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical service providers for

emergency medical services departments, may bargain collectively over wages,

hours, and conditions of employment. Public safety employees, however, may not

bargain over a subject that is identified as a prohibited subject of bargaining. Under

current law, all costs and payments associated with health care coverage plans and

the design and selection of health care coverage plans by a municipal employer for

public safety employees, as well as the impact of the costs and payments and the

design and selection of the plans on wages, hours, and conditions of employment of

public safety employees, are prohibited subjects of bargaining for public safety

employees.

This bill clarifies that for purposes of the prohibition against bargaining over

the design of a health care coverage plan selected by a municipal employer, design

does not include who is covered by the health care coverage plan. In other words,

public safety employees may bargain with a municipal employer about who will be

covered by a health care coverage plan selected by the municipal employer. In

addition, this bill clarifies that the initial decision of whether or not to provide health

care coverage is a permitted subject of bargaining between a municipal employer and

public safety employees.