CAJPA Legislative Action Day 2022 - Leave Back

2022 CAJPA

LEGISLATIVE ACTION DAY

About CAJPA

Who is CAJPA? Founded in 1981, the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) represents the interests of California’s public risk management JPAs. CAJPA assists these cooperating agencies in the implementation of cost-effective and secure risk solutions that address diverse legal and economic challenges, while serving the complex needs of the state’s population.

Powered by more than 800,000 public entity employees, CAJPA’s members work tirelessly to be good stewards of scarce public funding as they provide a variety of local government programs and services to California’s citizens.

CAJPA Members Serve: • 1,000+ school and community college districts, employing 300,000 educators and serving 6 million students • 471 California cities • 54 of California’s 58 counties • 3,000+ special districts providing vital public services to citizens in California cities, towns, and unincorporated areas, such as fire, water, park and recreation, hospital, sanitation and mosquito abatement among others.

What is a Joint Powers Authority?

A joint powers authority is a government-regulated public entity formed by two or more public agencies such as cities, county, school districts, special districts or even the State of California. These JPAs, or risk pools as they are commonly known, combine their assets to promote risk management and pay claims filed with member entities.

They can be used to perform any governmental function that a single public agency may lawfully perform. CAJPA members are risk pool JPAs that focus on loss control, risk management and insurance-related functions.

Risk pool JPAs can provide programs for workers’ compensation, general liability, auto liability, fiduciary liability, pollution liability, public officials’ errors and omissions, employee fidelity, property damage, health care (medical, dental or vision) and short and long-term disability coverage for their member public entities. There are distinct advantages to public agencies when establishing a JPA: • Risk pool JPAs are not driven by profit. Decisions are made based on the best interest of JPA members.

• JPA insurance coverage rates are determined by the members’ experience and exposure. Group commercial coverage is purchased at a lower rate through economies of scale.

• JPA members have more control over coverage issues, how programs are operated, how claims are paid and how resources are allocated to reduce the potential for future claims.

Joint Powers Authority CAJPA monitors and takes positions on legislation introduced in California. CAJPA focuses on those legislative issues that have a significant public policy impact, a tangible financial impact on the operations of risk sharing JPAs and by extension, on the ability of the participating local governments’ capability to devote the maximum of their financial resources to the functions for which they exist.

CAJPA's Joint Powers Authority Platform CAJPA strongly supports the ability of local governmental entities to form and participate in joint powers authorities. We recognize that when risk pool JPAs are formed with an eye toward common functional and philosophical needs, it allows entities to more efficiently deliver services that meet the needs of the people they serve.

Through significant economies of scale, JPAs help members deliver a higher level of basic services, such as education, public safety, and infrastructure maintenance, to their primary benefactors – the community and its taxpayers. As a result of the benefits JPAs provide to their members and constituents, CAJPA advocates for the preservation and strengthening of the JPA concept.

CAJPA Supports: • Broadening of the ability of JPAs to prudently invest their funds and purchase goods and services.

CAJPA Opposes: • Local, state or federal laws or regulations that would lessen JPAs’ authority or inhibit their ability to lawfully and efficiently deliver goods and services to their members.

• Local, state, or federal laws or regulations that directly or indirectly increase the cost to JPAs and their members.

Health Care & Safety/Loss Control

Health Care & Safety/Loss Control CAJPA's Health Care Platform CAJPA supports a managed competition approach with a system of regionally empowered JPAs. Risk sharing JPAs will pool their member risks to enable cost control through proven managed care measures. With the growth of risk pool JPAs, claims and associated risk becomes predictable and utilization can stabilize.

CAJPA believes these regional authorities encourage a more competitive market system and will ultimately prove to be more effective than a regulatory approach.

CAJPA Supports: • Consistent monitoring and use of cost containment procedures.

• Expansion of e-technologies to include a universal billing concept, electronic medical files, etc.

• Legislation against direct consumer advertising of prescriptions (supporting the AMA’s opposition).

• Legislation to ensure monetary rebates from drug companies are free of conflicts of interest.

CAJPA Opposes: • Unfunded governmental mandates on health coverage.

• Any significant increase in governmental bureaucracy.

• New or expanded federal or state entitlement programs.

• Unfunded and poorly drafted Single Payer legislation.

CAJPA's Safety/Loss Control Platform CAJPA closely monitors legislative activity and takes positions on proposed legislation that could impact our member public entities. CAJPA’s Safety & Loss Control Subcommittee monitors those bills and issues that could impact the safety and health of our employees and the general public.

CAJPA Supports: • Legislation that seeks to establish consistency between state and federal standards.

• Legislation that seeks to coordinate federal and state hazardous materials programs in order to maintain efficiency and fairness.

• Health standards and safety regulations that protect the health and welfare of employees and the general public.

• Use of insurance wrap-up programs to facilitate loss control.

• Efforts to provide review of and comment on standards being considered by the Cal-OSHA Standards Board.

• Efforts to establish and maintain non-arbitrary, scientifically based ergonomic standards.

• Legislation that prohibits enforcement of Cal-OSHA violations as criminal matters, or would authorize Cal-OSHA to be the sole enforcer of its own regulations.

Tort Liability & Workers' Compensation

Tort Liability & Workers’ Compensation

CAJPA's Tort Liability Platform CAJPA supports legislation that facilitates the use of public agency funds for their intended purpose of providing services to the communities. CAJPA supports legislation that restores the immunities from tort claims and reduces the liabilities of public agencies.

CAJPA Supports: • The use of comparative negligence.

• Abolishment of joint liability and affirming several liability.

• Trial judges, not juries, establishing the level of punitive damage.

• Establishing a realistic cap on general damages.

• Allowing evidence of collateral sources of compensation for the same injury to be admissible in court.

• Limitation or elimination of the amount of prejudgment interest.

• Allowing public agencies to use periodic payments to satisfy judgments.

• Dissuading the use of escalation features on large awards, even when periodic payments are permitted.

• Restoring immunities for the condition of public improvements, which were safe when designed and constructed.

• Enhancing immunities for public entities that provide, sponsor, or conduct recreational activities.

• Ability of public agencies to obtain wrap-up insurance programs for public work projects.

• The ability to transfer risk through contractual agreements.

CAJPA's Workers' Compensation Platform CAJPA supports legislation that preserves the original intent of the workers’ compensation system: to deliver prompt and fair benefits to workers who are injured on the job. We believe that the system should be designed to promote employee health, function and return to work. With respect to our public agency members, we resist legislation that would result in increased litigation; excessive costs; expansion of injury “presumptions” for special classes of employees; or erosion of workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for work-related injuries.

CAJPA Supports: • Continued enforcement of workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for injuries arising out of and in the course of employment.

• Consistent application of the Arising Out of Employment/Course of Employment (AOE/COE) standard for determining what injuries are covered, for all employees.

• Statewide fee schedules that control the cost of required medical care and expense services allocated to claims.Objective standards for determining permanent disability and apportionment to the actual causes of disability.

• Medical treatment that is consistent with evidence-based, peer-reviewed and nationally recognized standards of care, enforced by medical professionals through utilization review and independent medical review.

• Streamlining the system to minimize expensive and unnecessary litigation, including information to injured workers that is relevant and easy to understand.

• Vigorous efforts to reduce or eliminate fraud within the workers’ compensation system, perpetrated by any party to the system.

CAJPA CAJPAMembers Members

CAJPA Members CAJPA membersserve servemore morethan than 1,000 1,000 school school and 471 California cities, 54 CaliCAJPA members andcommunity communitycollege collegedistricts, districts, 471 California cities, 54 California counties, and more than 3,000 special districts.

CAJPA members employ more than 800,000 people and and fornia counties, and more than 3,000 special districts. CAJPA members employ more than 800,000 people provide localgovernment governmentservices servicesto to nearly nearly all provide local all California Californiaresidents. residents.

ACWA/JPIA

ACWA/JPIA Alameda County Schools Insurance Group Alameda County Schools Insurance Group California Schools Employee Benefits Association California Employee BenefitsInsurance Association AllianceSchools of Schools for Cooperative Programs (ASCIP) Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs (ASCIP) Authority for California Cities Excess Liability (ACCEL) Authority for Schools California Cities Excess Liability (ACCEL) Bay Area Insurance Cooperative (BASIC) BayBay Area Schools Insurance Cooperative (BASIC) Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority BayBETA CitiesHealthcare Joint Powers Insurance Authority Group BETA Healthcare Group Butte Schools Self-Funded Programs Butte Schools Self-Funded Programs Authorities (CARMA) California Affiliated Risk Management California Association Park & Recreation Indemnity (CAPRI) California Affiliated Risk for Management Authorities (CARMA) California Fair Services Authority (CFSA) Indemnity (CAPRI) California Association for Park & Recreation California Housing Workers' Compensation California Fair Services Authority (CFSA) Authority (CHWCA) California Insurance Pool Authority California Housing Workers' Compensation Authority (CHWCA) California Intergovernmental Risk Authority California Insurance Pool Authority California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA) California Intergovernmental Risk Authority California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority (CJPRMA) California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA) California Risk Management Authority (CRMA) California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority (CJPRMA) California Sanitation Risk Management Authority (CSRMA) C California Risk Management Authority (CRMA) California Schools Risk Management JPA (CSRM) California Sanitation Risk Management Authority (CSRMA) C California State University Risk Management Authority California Schools Risk Management JPA (CSRM) California Transit Indemnity Pool (CalTIP) California University Risk Management Authority Central State Region School Insurance Group (CRSIG) California Indemnity Central Transit San Joaquin ValleyPool Risk(CalTIP) Management Authority Central Region School Insurance Group (CRSIG) City of Fontana Central San Joaquin Valley Risk Management Authority City of Stockton CityContra of Fontana Costa & Solano Counties School Districts' Self Insurance CityAuthority of Stockton Contra Costa County Schools Group (CCCSIG) Contra Costa & Solano CountiesInsurance School Districts' Self Insurance East Bay Schools Insurance Group Authority Employment Risk Management AuthorityGroup (ERMA) Contra Costa County Schools Insurance (CCCSIG) Fire Agencies Insurance System (FASIS) East Bay SchoolsSelf Insurance Group Fire Districts Association of California Employee Employment Risk Management Authority (ERMA)Benefits Authority Fresno County Self-Insurance Group (FCSIG) Fire Agencies Self Insurance System (FASIS) Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) Fire Districts Association of California Employee Benefits Authority Imperial County School Districts Liability/Property SIA Fresno County Self-Insurance Group (FCSIG) Independent Cities Risk Management Authority (ICRMA) Golden Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) LocalState Agency Workers' Compensation Excess JPA (LAWCX) Imperial Districts Liability/Property SIA Marin County SchoolsSchool Insurance Authority Independent CitiesSchools Risk Management Authority (ICRMA) Merced County Insurance Group Local AgencyBay Workers' Compensation Excess(MBASIA) JPA (LAWCX) Monterey Area Self Insurance Authority Marin Schools InsuranceRisk Authority Monterey Educational Management Authority Municipal Pooling Merced County Schools Insurance Group Authority (MPA) Municipalities Colleges Schools Insurance Monterey Bay Area Self Insurance AuthorityGroup (MBASIA) NonProfits' United Risk Management Authority Municipal Pooling Monterey Educational North Bay School Insurance Authority (NBSIA) Authority (MPA) North ValleyColleges Schools Insurance Group (NVSIG) Municipalities Schools Insurance Group Northeastern Joint Powers Authority NonProfits' United North Bay School Insurance Authority (NBSIA) North Valley Schools Insurance Group (NVSIG) Northeastern Joint Powers Authority

Northern California Cities Self-Insurance Fund Northern California Cities Self-Insurance Fund Northern California Community Colleges SIA Northern California Community Colleges SIA Northern California ReLiEF NorthernCalifornia California ReLiEF Northern Schools Insurance Group Northern California Schools Insurance Group Northern California Special Districts Insurance Authority NorthernOrange California Special Districts Insurance AuthorityAuthority Northern County Liability & Property Self-Insurance Northern Orange County Liability & Property Self-Insurance Authority Northern Orange County Liability & Property Self-Insurance Authority NorthernOrange Orange County Liability &Workers' PropertyCompensation Self-Insurance Authority Northern County Self-Funded Agency Northern Orange County Self-Funded Workers' Compensation Agency Organization of Self-Insured Schools (OSS) Organization of Self-Insured Public Entity Risk Management Schools Authority(OSS) (PERMA) Public Innovations, Solutions, Authority and Management (PRISM) PublicRisk Entity Risk Management (PERMA) Redwood Empire Schools Insurance (RESIG) Public Risk Innovations, Solutions,Group and Management (PRISM) Riverside Authority Group (RESIG) RedwoodSchools' EmpireInsurance Schools Insurance Riverside Risk Management Authority RiversideSchools Schools' Insurance Authority San Bernardino County Department of Risk Management Riverside Schools Risk Management Authority San Diego County Schools Risk Management San Bernardino County Department of Risk Management San Joaquin County Office of Education San Diego County Schools Risk Management San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group San Joaquin County Office of Education Santa Clara County Schools' Insurance Group (SCCSIG) San Mateo County Schools Insurance Group Santa Cruz/San Benito County Schools Insurance Group Santa Clara County Schools' Insurance Group (SCCSIG) Schools Alliance for Workers' Compensation Excess JPA (SAWCX II) Santa Cruz/San Benito County Schools Insurance Group Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) SchoolsInsurance Alliance Authority for Workers' Schools (SIA)Compensation Excess JPA (SAWCX II) SchoolsInsurance Excess Liability Schools Group Fund (SELF) SchoolsInsurance Insurance Authority Schools Program for (SIA) Employees (SIPE) SchoolsInsured Insurance Schools Risk Group Management Authority I Schools Insurance Program for(SISC) Employees (SIPE) Self-Insured Schools of California Shasta-Trinity Schools GroupAuthority I Schools Insured RiskInsurance Management SIRMA II for Liability/Property Protection Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC) Small Cities Organized Risk Effort (SCORE) Shasta-Trinity Schools Insurance Group South BayII Area Schools Insurance Authority SIRMA for Liability/Property Protection Southern California ReLiEF Small Cities Organized Risk Effort (SCORE) Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) South Bay Area Schools Insurance Authority Statewide Association of Community Colleges (SWACC) Southern California ReLiEF Statewide Educational Wrap Up Program (SEWUP) Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA) Tri-County Schools Insurance Group Statewide Association of Community Colleges (SWACC) Trindel Insurance Fund Statewide Educational Wrap Up Program (SEWUP) Tulare County Schools Self Insurance Authority Tri-County Schools Insurance Group Valley Insurance Programs JPA (VIP) - Cerritos Trindel Insurance Fund JPA (VIP) - Claremont Valley Insurance Programs TulareControl CountyJoint Schools Self Insurance Authority Vector Powers Agency (VCJPA) Valley Insurance Programs JPA (VIP) - Cerritos Ventura County Schools Self-Funding Authority Valley Insurance Programs JPA (VIP) West San Gabriel Property & Liability JPA- Claremont Vector Powers Agency (VCJPA) West SanControl GabrielJoint Workers' Compensation JPA Western Self Funded Workers' Compensation Agency VenturaOrange CountyCounty Schools Self-Funding Authority Yolo County Public Agency Risk Management West San Gabriel Property & Liability JPA Insurance Authority ) (YCPARMIA West San Gabriel Workers' Compensation JPA

Western Orange County Self Funded Workers' Compensation Agency Yolo County Public Agency Risk Management Insurance Authority (YCPARMIA)