SACRAMENTO — Among the bills California Governor Gavin Newsom signed on Wednesday is AB 1867, legislation that immediately extends critical paid sick days protections to the state’s workforce.

Building on historic early action to expand paid sick days to employees in the food sector at the beginning of this crisis, this legislation means that every California employee that has been exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19 will have access to paid sick days for the rest of the 2020 calendar year.

AB 1867, a budget trailer bill, closes the gaps in paid sick days provided in federal law and the governor’s Executive Order by including employers with more than 500 employees and public and private employers of first responders and health care employees who opted not to cover their employees under federal law.

The bill also allows California’s Labor Commissioner to cite workplaces for a lack of paid sick days, a critical enforcement tool that will promote safety for employees and customers alike.

“Helping employees stay home when they are sick is foundational in our response to COVID-19,” Newsom said. “This bill fills in gaps in our federal and state paid sick days policy and gives our extraordinary employees a little more peace of mind as they take time to care for themselves and protect those around them from COVID-19. I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature and other partners to make more progress in this space.”

Expanding access to paid sick days and protecting employees has been a priority of the Newsom Administration before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newsom has taken several actions to benefit employees on the front lines, including paid sick days for food sector employees; workers’ compensation benefits for employees who contract COVID-19 during the stay-at-home-order; critical child care services for essential employees and vulnerable populations; additional weekly unemployment benefits; and support for employees to isolate and quarantine outside their home.

The governor also took action and signed the following bills on Wednesday:

* AB 408 by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Fairfield) – Vehicles: disabled veterans.

* AB 518 by Assemblymember Ian Calderon (D-Whittier) – Surplus state real property: Southern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic.

* AB 736 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Employee classification: professional classification: specified educational employees.

* AB 1981 by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian (D-Van Nuys) – Los Angeles Unified School District: best value procurement.

* AB 2141 by Assemblymember Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) – Department of Motor Vehicles.

* AB 2234 by Assemblymember Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) – Classified school and community college employees: personnel commission: legal counsel.

* AB 2300 by Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) – California Youth Football Act.

* AB 2319 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) – Tow truck operators: liens: exceptions.

* AB 2445 by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) – Civil actions: wrongful death.

* AB 2450 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) – Air Ambulance Services.

* AB 2459 by Assemblymember Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals) – Alcoholic beverage licenses: Counties of Mariposa and Napa.

* AB 2932 by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) – City of Long Beach: design-build process.

* AB 3277 by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Huntington Park) – Parking penalties: collection.

* AB 3312 by Assemblymember Adam Gray (D-Merced) – Local agency formation: annexation: City of Merced.

* AB 3373 by the Committee on Revenue and Taxation – Property taxation: assessment appeals boards.

* SB 364 by Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) – Change in ownership: nonresidential active solar energy systems: initiative.

* SB 934 by Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) – Corporate taxes: exempt organizations: filing fees.

For full text of the bills, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.