SACRAMENTO, April 26, 2023 – Today, the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement approved SB 375 (Alvarado-Gil, D-Jackson) by a 3-1 vote. SB 375 will provide employers with financial relief from the cost of compliance with the new COVID-19 workplace safety standards that took effect on February 4.
“SB 375 will support California employers and growers throughout the state, including those in the foothill wine regions represented by Senator Alvarado-Gil, who are still recovering from the pandemic,” said Natalie Collins, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). “We thank Senator Alvarado-Gil for her demonstrated commitment and leadership on this issue.”
CAWG sponsored SB 375 in recognition of the challenges faced by many growers, particularly small-scale operations, who are still recovering from the financial setbacks of 2020 and 2021, and are also dealing with the added burden of complying with pandemic related regulations. SB 375 would provide an annual credit against state payroll taxes to reimburse employers for verifiable expenses related to pandemic-based regulatory compliance, such as testing, masking, ventilation systems, exclusion from work, and other documented costs.
California’s emergency COVID-19 regulation recently ended and was replaced by the new regulation, which will stay in effect until February 3, 2025. SB 375 provides an annual tax credit that would be capped at $100 per employee for small employers and $50 per employee for large employers.
The bill is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
