California 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: In Committee 4 R cosponsors

SB 397 — Emergency powers: essential services: religious services.

Last action — Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency, and local governments to proclaim a local emergency, when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist, and authorizes the Governor or the local government to exercise certain powers in response to that emergency. Existing law grants immunity to the state and its political subdivisions for any claim based upon the exercise or performance, or the failure to exercise or perform, a discretionary function or duty on the part of a state or local agency or any employee of the state or its political subdivisions in carrying out the California Emergency Services Act. Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, headed by the State Public Health Officer, and sets forth its powers and duties, including the administration of provisions relating to the prevention and control of communicable disease. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and enforce regulations requiring strict or modified isolation, or quarantine, for any of the contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases, if in the opinion of the department the action is necessary for the protection of the public health. On March 4, 2020, the Governor proclaimed a state of emergency in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Pursuant to specified provisions relating to the prevention and control, the State Public Health Officer ordered all individuals living in the state to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, as outlined in the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce. Pursuant to authority under specified provisions of the California Emergency Services Act, the Governor issued Executive Order No. N-33-20 requiring all residents to immediately heed those state public health directives. This bill, the Religion is Essential Act, would, during a state of emergency or local emergency, require the Governor or the local government to deem religious services to be an essential service and to be necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public. The bill would prohibit the state and local government from taking a discriminatory action against a religious organization, as those terms are defined, and would require the state and local government to permit a religious organization to continue operating and engaging in religious services during a state of emergency to the same or greater extent that other organizations or businesses that provide essential services that are necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public are permitted to operate. The bill would prohibit the state and local government from enforcing any health, safety, or occupancy requirement that imposes a substantial burden on a religious service unless the state or local government demonstrates that applying the burden to the religious service is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. This bill would authorize a religious organization to assert a violation of these provisions as a claim against the state or a local government in a judicial or administrative proceeding or as a defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, as specified. The bill would entitle a religious organization that successfully asserts a claim or defense to certain relief, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations. By imposing additional duties on a local government in the exercise of emergency powers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. April 13 set for first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 7. Page 775.) Reconsideration granted.

  3. Set for hearing April 13.

  4. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  5. Referral to Com. on Health rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.

  6. Referred to Coms. on JUD., G.O., and HEALTH.

  7. Joint Rule 55 suspended. (Ayes 32. Noes 4. Page 272.)

  8. (Ayes 32. Noes 4.)

  9. Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with.

  10. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 14.

  11. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 113 not signed on · 4 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (113)

113 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 113 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Governmental Organization]

Failed 2 Yea · 7 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 1300
Republican 1000
Democratic 0402
Total 2702
% of votes cast 18%64%0%18%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Borgeas — Yea
Hertzberg — Nay
Wieckowski — Nay
Gonzalez — Nay
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Not Voting
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Nay
Laird, John Democratic Nay
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Not Voting
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Nay
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

[First] hearing set for [04-14-2021]: Failed passage in Committee. Reconsideration granted

Passed 10 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4000
Democratic 5001
Republican 1000
Total 10001
% of votes cast 91%0%0%9%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Gonzalez — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Not Voting
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 397 do?
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency, and local governments to proclaim a local emergency, when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist, and authorizes the Governor or the local government to exercise certain powers in response to that emergency. Existing law grants immunity to the state and its political subdivisions for any claim based upon the exercise or performance, or the failure to exercise or perform, a discretionary function or duty on the part of a state or local agency or any employee of the state or its political subdivisions in carrying out the California Emergency Services Act. Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, headed by the State Public Health Officer, and sets forth its powers and duties, including the administration of provisions relating to the prevention and control of communicable disease. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt and enforce regulations requiring strict or modified isolation, or quarantine, for any of the contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases, if in the opinion of the department the action is necessary for the protection of the public health. On March 4, 2020, the Governor proclaimed a state of emergency in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Pursuant to specified provisions relating to the prevention and control, the State Public Health Officer ordered all individuals living in the state to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, as outlined in the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce. Pursuant to authority under specified provisions of the California Emergency Services Act, the Governor issued Executive Order No. N-33-20 requiring all residents to immediately heed those state public health directives. This bill, the Religion is Essential Act, would, during a state of emergency or local emergency, require the Governor or the local government to deem religious services to be an essential service and to be necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public. The bill would prohibit the state and local government from taking a discriminatory action against a religious organization, as those terms are defined, and would require the state and local government to permit a religious organization to continue operating and engaging in religious services during a state of emergency to the same or greater extent that other organizations or businesses that provide essential services that are necessary and vital to the health and welfare of the public are permitted to operate. The bill would prohibit the state and local government from enforcing any health, safety, or occupancy requirement that imposes a substantial burden on a religious service unless the state or local government demonstrates that applying the burden to the religious service is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. This bill would authorize a religious organization to assert a violation of these provisions as a claim against the state or a local government in a judicial or administrative proceeding or as a defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, as specified. The bill would entitle a religious organization that successfully asserts a claim or defense to certain relief, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations. By imposing additional duties on a local government in the exercise of emergency powers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Who sponsors SB 397?
SB 397 is sponsored by Jones, Brian W. (Republican), Bates, Borgeas, Grove, Shannon (Republican), Melendez, Nielsen, Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie (Republican), Wilk, and Dahle, Megan (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 397?
This bill died with 2021-2022 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 397?
Track SB 397 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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