Oct 02, 2019

Governor signs historic CPF-sponsored bills

As the 2019 legislative session comes to a close, California firefighters gain a historic win as Governor Gavin Newsom signed significant CPF-sponsored bills that reached his desk. CPF-backed behavioral health bills SB 542 and AB 1116 and EMS dispatch bill, SB 438, go into effect January 2020.

  • AB 1116 (Grayson) – Signed by Governor Newsom
    Moves forward important confidentiality and peer support training to help ensure that firefighters are able to address their behavioral wellness.
  • SB 542 (Stern) – Signed by Governor Newsom
    Creates a rebuttable post-tramatic stress injury presumption for firefighters in the state's workers' compensation system.
  • SB 438 (Hertzberg) – Signed by Governor Newsom 
    Prohibits a public agency from outsourcing its local emergency dispatch services to a private, for-profit industry.

Firefighters made their voices heard. It is through the work of CPF member action that these bills were echoed in the halls of power. Members from across the state came to testify and lobby for CPF's Behavioral Health Bill Package and the importance of keeping 911 dispatch in the hands of sworn public safety officers. CPF members also submitted hundreds of letters and petitions to legislators to keep the firefighter agenda on the foreforent. When firefighters stand together, we win. 

"This is a historic victory for California firefighters," said President Brian K. Rice. "The new behavioral health laws take a significant step forward in removing the stigma that prevents firefighters from seeking help, these laws will save firefighter lives. We are also putting the public's safety first with the EMS dispatch law, ensuring that dispatch is performed by sworn public safety officers, through responsible and accountable public agencies."