Classified employees: school districts and community college districts: contracting out: training requirements.

Assembly Member Garcia's legislation modifies contracting requirements and training standards for classified employees in California's school and community college districts. The measure establishes new conditions for districts contracting out services traditionally performed by classified staff, while instituting specific parameters around mandatory employee training.

Under the bill's provisions, districts must ensure that contracted workers receive equivalent fringe benefits to direct hires and meet identical qualification standards, including background checks, academic requirements, licensure, and experience levels. The legislation maintains existing cost-savings requirements for contracting decisions while adding protections related to benefit parity and worker qualifications.

The measure also creates new requirements for mandatory training of classified employees. Districts must compensate staff at their regular pay rate for time spent completing required training, whether mandated by law, collective bargaining agreements, or employer policies. All training programs must enable real-time interaction between employees and instructors. Additionally, training related to child abuse reporting, suicide prevention, sexual harassment, and discrimination must be conducted in person rather than online.

The Commission on State Mandates will determine whether these new requirements constitute state-mandated costs eligible for local agency reimbursement under existing statutory procedures. The provisions apply to both K-12 school districts and community college districts, including those operating under merit systems.