Spring in California can only mean one thing, and no, it’s not Coachella, Dodgers games or even the return of the swallows to San Juan Capistrano—it’s the annual release of the California Chamber of Commerce’s list of “Job Killer Bills.”

Once again, this list proves that former California Governor Jerry Brown had it right when he wrote in a legislative veto message: “Not every human problem deserves a law!”

Below we’ve summarized the nine pending bills affecting California labor and employment law (so far!):

• AB 524 (Wicks, D-Oakland) – FEHA Protections Expanded to Caregivers. This bill would amend California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) to include “family caregiver status” as a protected characteristic (along with race, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, etc.). “Family caregiver status” would be defined as “a person who contributes to the care of one or more family members,” which includes spouses, domestic partners, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, or “any other individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.” If passed and signed by the governor, employees could file charges against their employers with the California Civil Rights Department or sue for damages in civil court for allegations of discrimination or harassment based upon their status as a family caregiver. Assemblymember Wicks proposed a similar bill last year, AB 2182, which...

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