Unemployment and disability insurance: quality of services: reporting.

Assembly Member Castillo's proposal for annual evaluations of California's unemployment and disability insurance services would task the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) with examining the Employment Development Department's (EDD) service delivery. The measure establishes a four-year reporting framework focused on program performance metrics, including paid family leave administration and customer service wait times.

Under the bill's provisions, the LAO would submit detailed assessments to the Legislature beginning January 1, 2027, with subsequent reports due each January through 2031. These evaluations would examine EDD's handling of unemployment insurance claims, disability benefits, and the paid family leave program, which provides wage replacement for workers caring for family members or bonding with new children. The reporting requirement would automatically sunset on January 1, 2031.

The measure builds upon existing unemployment and disability insurance systems, where employers make contributions to fund benefits for eligible workers. While creating new oversight responsibilities for the LAO, the bill requires no additional appropriations and would utilize current operational resources to conduct the mandated service quality reviews.