Overview

With constantly evolving developments and growing uncertainties over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), public agencies are reviewing their options to protect their workforce and constituencies, and to limit exposure and transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and various California state agencies are increasingly developing and publishing resources and guidance to assist school districts, community college districts, post-secondary educational institutions, cities, counties, other municipalities, and the public in general. Among these resources and guidance are those intended to assist in addressing workforce, student body, and community care concerns. In our continued effort to equip public agencies with useful insights, following are links to several resource and guidance documents and webpages available from the federal and state governments regarding COVID-19.

FEBRUARY 2023 - End of COVID-19 State of Emergency

On Tuesday, February, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation terminating the state’s COVID-19 State of Emergency.

JANUARY 2023 - Update to COVID-19 State of Emergency

On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the Governor’s Office re-affirmed that the COVID-19 state of emergency would end on February 28, 2023. This is notable considering that a day earlier, on Monday, January 30, 2023, President Biden announced that the national and federal public health COVID-19 states of emergency would end on May 11, 2023. Based on this, we might infer that Governor Newsom does not plan to extend and align the end of California’s COVID-19 state of emergency with the rest of the nation.

This may pose challenges for public agencies that are continuing to rely on the relaxed teleconferencing provisions under AB 361, which requires a “state of emergency,” defined as “a state of emergency proclaimed pursuant to Section 8625 of the California Emergency Services Act.” (Read the related Client News Brief.) In other words, the May 11th date will not be determinative, but the February 28th date will be, for many governing boards currently holding virtual meetings. Please reach out to your legal counsel to discuss these implications.

Quick Links

Client News Briefs State Government Federal Government County Governments Associations

Client News Briefs

Lozano Smith Client News Briefs

California State Government

California Community Colleges

California Department of Education (CDE)

California Department of Education (CDE) and California Health and Human Services Agency (HHS)

California Department of Finance

California Department of Industrial Relations

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)

California Department of Finance

California Department of Pesticide Regulation

California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)

California Governor’s Office

California Labor & Workforce Development Agency

California Labor Commissioner

California Legislative Analyst’s Office

California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)

California State Legislature - Newly Enacted State Legislation

California State Teachers Retirement System (CALSTRS)

Medical Board of California

State of California

Federal Government

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Office of the President – The White House

United States Congress - Newly Enacted Federal Legislation

United States Department of Education

United States Department of Labor

United States Department of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

United States Department of the Treasury

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

County Governments

County Public Health Orders

Associations

Association of California School Adminsitrators

California County Superintendents Educational Services Association

California School Boards Association

League of California Cities

National School Boards Association

Disclaimer: Apart from Lozano Smith Client News Briefs, these sources are not authored or approved as to content by Lozano Smith. These sources and links are subject to frequent updates as these issues are rapidly evolving. These materials and all discussions of these materials are for instructional purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. If you need legal advice, you should contact your local counsel or an attorney at Lozano Smith.