Stacy L. Velloff

On November 22, 2022, a California Court of Appeal affirmed that state law prohibited the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) from mandating student COVID-19 vaccinations.  The case has statewide implications for public schools and may affect private schools as well.
Background
SDUSD adopted...

In the last month, the State has updated guidance and requirements on two important COVID-19-related subjects: (1) who qualifies as a “close contact” after a workplace exposure; and (2) what notice employers must provide in the event of a workplace exposure. This bulletin reviews these changes in...

On September 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 152 into law.
The bill amends the Labor Codes, making several important changes to how COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) is administered, and also sets up a grant relief fund for small non-profits and other...

On June 30, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) provided updated guidance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in K-12 schools for the 2022-2023 school year.  This guidance became effective July 1, 2022.  Below is a summary of the relevant portions of the updated guidance....

On April 6, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) updated its guidance for local health jurisdictions on isolation and quarantine of the general public.  The new guidance removes quarantine recommendations for asymptomatic exposed people, regardless of vaccination status.  The...

On April 14, 2022, Governor Newsom’s administration announced a delay in enforcing the state mandate that will require students and employees in K-12 schools to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  The mandate as previously announced would have required students to obtain the vaccine to attend school...

On February 28, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) updated its guidance concerning the use of face coverings, and will no longer require that face coverings be worn in K-12 schools and childcare facilities starting March 12, 2022.  While as of March 12, 2022, the CDPH will no...

On February 7, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued updated guidance concerning the use of face coverings in indoor public settings and businesses. The new rules concerning the use of face coverings took effect on February 16, 2022, except where a local jurisdiction...

Yesterday Governor Newsom signed a new COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) bill into law. The new SPSL obligations will take effect on February 19, 2022.  The law requires covered employers to provide SPSL to employees retroactive to January 1, 2022 and through September 30, 2022.  This...

On January 12, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) updated its COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California.  The new guidance modified the student quarantine procedures.  It also introduced a new Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a...

On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine periods for people who test positive for, or are exposed to, COVID-19.   On December 30, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) followed suit by...

As schools begin 2022, here are five COVID-19 related issues they should consider:

Travel Quarantines

The CDC currently recommends a seven-day quarantine for those who are unvaccinated after international and domestic travel.  No quarantine period applies to those who are fully vaccinated. ...

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act that was passed in December of 2020, Congress set aside $2.75 billion for private schools, including parochial schools, to assist with costs related to COVID-19.  This funding, known as Emergency Assistance to Non-Public School (EANS), was made available...

On December 2, 2021, President Biden announced new international travel restrictions following the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The announcement is part of the Administration’s plan, “New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this...

On October 1, 2021, Governor Newsom announced a forthcoming statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate for both school staff and students.  For students, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will be adding the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance—such...

In March 2021, the California legislature adopted, and Governor Newsom signed, Senate Bill (SB) 95. This law requires employers to provide up to 80 hours of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) to their employees in the event that an employee is not able to work or telework for certain...

On September 22, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued updated COVID-19 K-12 Guidance to provide new recommendations for the timing of unvaccinated students to exit modified quarantines after close-contact exposure at the supervised school setting, and includes pooled PCR...

On September 1, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued updated COVID-19 K-12 Guidance to provide recommendations and requirements for school-based extracurricular activities, and to provide further clarified modified quarantine recommendations.
A. Requirements for...

On June 17, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) readopted an amended version of the Emergency Temporary Standards (Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulations) (“June 17 Amendments”). These amendments affect many of the requirements that have been in place since OSHSB initially adopted the...

On March 19, 2021, Governor Newsom signed into law the California Legislature passed Senate Bill (“SB”) 95, codifying at Labor Code section 248.2 new obligations on employers to provide COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave to employees who are unable to work or telework for certain qualifying...

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“American Rescue Plan” or “Plan”), a $1.9 trillion dollar legislative package intended to address the economic damage caused by COVID-19.  This bulletin highlights some of the key American Rescue Plan...

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“American Rescue Plan” or “Plan”), a $1.9 trillion dollar legislative package intended to address the economic damage caused by COVID-19.  This bulletin highlights some of the key American Rescue Plan...

In the spring of 2020, in response to the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provided leave and benefits for COVID-19-related reasons to eligible employees of employers with less than 500 employees, many California cities and counties passed supplemental COVID-19...

On Thursday, January 14, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance for K-12 schools, titled “COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework and Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year.”  The K-12 School Guidance does not...

On December 21, 2020, Congress passed new COVID-19 legislation, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020.  The new legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, provides $600 stimulus payments to individuals, adds $300 to extended weekly unemployment benefits, and provides more than $300...

Given the recent news coverage concerning COVID-19 vaccines and the government’s distribution plan for such vaccines, many of our private school clients have inquired whether it will be permissible to require school employees be vaccinated for COVID-19. This question is important from a public...

On December 3, in order to slow the unprecedented rise in the rate of increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new Regional Stay At Home Order (the “Order”).
The Order will take effect on December 5, 2020 in any region of the state, as...

On December 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued updated guidance concerning the recommended quarantine period for individuals following a “close contact” exposure to someone with COVID-19. The guidance reduces the recommended quarantine period from 14 days to either 10...

On November 19, 2020, pursuant to emergency rulemaking authority, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (“OSHSB”) adopted temporary regulations regarding measures that all employers must undertake in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace (“emergency...

On November 16, 2020, in response to significant increases in the incidence rates of COVID-19 in the state, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued updated guidance concerning the use of face coverings. The updated guidance requires that individuals wear a face covering at all...

On November 13, 2020, in response to alarming increases in the incidence rates of COVID-19 in other countries and states, the California Department of Public Health (“CDPH”) issued a travel advisory to California residents.  This travel advisory follows recent state and federal guidance limiting...

On August 3, 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance for schools and school-based programs.  The latest guidance includes frequently asked questions from schools and provides information regarding the waiver process for in-person learning elementary education.
...

Earlier today, Governor Newsom announced statewide restrictions on the reopening of K-12 schools, including private schools, and issued updated state guidelines and requirements regarding both in person and distance learning, as summarized in this bulletin.
A.       Restrictions on when Schools are...

On June 5, 2020, the State issued industry guidance for schools and school-based programs, childcare facilities, and day camps.
COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs
The Governor previously announced that counties that have completed and submitted a written attestation to...

A.  Superintendent Tony Thurmond Provides an Update on Statewide Guidance Regarding the Reopening of K-12 Schools
On May 27, 2020, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, provided an update on the Department of Education’s efforts to assist schools with the reopening process...

CDC Issues Guidance Regarding the Reopening of K-12 Schools, Summer Day Camps, and Child Care Programs
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued guidance titled, CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again.  The...

1.  Statewide Orders Regarding the Reopening of Childcare Facilities 
On May 12, 2020, the Governor modified the statewide Shelter-in-Place order to permit childcare facilities that comply with statewide industry guidance to operate for children of all workers (rather than only for children of...

Last month the Governor laid out a four stage plan for reopening the state.  Last week, we provided an update that the State entered into the first phase of stage 2 of the reopening process on Friday May 8th.  This first phase of stage 2 permitted the retail industry, including the reopening of...

Last month the Governor laid out a four stage plan for reopening the state.  Last week, we provided an update that the State entered into the first phase of stage 2 of the reopening process on Friday May 8th.  This first phase of stage 2 permitted the retail industry, including the reopening of...

On April 23, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued updated guidance concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Rehabilitation Act and how employers may respond to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19. The EEOC makes clear that while the laws...

On May 6, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-62-20 establishing “presumptive eligibility” for workers’ compensation benefits to any employee who is directed to report to their place of employment and then subsequently contracts COVID-19 during the time period between March 19 and...

A.      Governor Announces that the State is Entering Stage 2 of California’s Four Stage Reopening Plan
Last month the Governor laid out a four stage plan for reopening the state as follows:

We are currently in Stage 1, which involves only opening essential businesses;
Stage 2 will be when some...

Employees who are eligible for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (“EPSL”) under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) may also file a claim for Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) or State Disability Insurance (“SDI”), two benefits established under California law.
PFL provides 60-70% wage...

On April 1, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued temporary regulations, and related comments, concerning the paid leave provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), including the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (“EPSLA”) and Emergency Family and Medical Leave...

Nonprofits should consider how the Coronavirus may affect the business contracts they have with third parties.  Many nonprofits have had to reduce or modify activities or cancel events.  Whether the nonprofit is entitled to a refund or whether it must pay the third party upon cancellation, will...

Schools should consider how the Coronavirus may affect the business contracts they have with vendors.  Many schools are considering or have implemented school closures and are cancelling events, including upcoming international and domestic trips.  Whether the school is entitled to a refund or...

We previously reported on the Shelter in Place orders announced by public health officials on March 16, 2020, which go into effect on March 17th at 12:01am  through April 7th.   These orders were announced by public health officials from the 6 Bay Area Counties of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra...

Today public health officials from six (6) Bay Area Counties (San Francisco City and County, Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, and Marin County)  announced new orders directing all individuals within these jurisdictions to shelter in place.  Public health...

On March 15, 2020, Governor Newsom held a press conference where he made a further announcement regarding provisions for the public to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. As a consideration, in order to protect the most vulnerable, which includes elders 65 and older, he stated that he was...

On March 14, 2020, at 12:51 am, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in an effort to reduce the impact of the virus on American families, the House of Representative passed H.R. 6201, titled the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the Act).  The bill will now move to the Senate, where it...

Earlier this week, LCW issued guidance to schools regarding trips in light of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).  LCW also issued guidance regarding schools’ ability to send students and employees home based on their recent travel to countries that have Level 3 or Level 2 Travel Notices from the...

We issued Special Bulletins earlier this week on Student and Employee Issues related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  The World Health Organization (“WHO”) has declared that the global spread of COVID-19 can now be characterized as a pandemic.   There has also been additional guidance issued by...

In the past month, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread throughout much of the world, including to the United States.  Last week Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in California.  Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties, among others, have also declared a Local Health Emergency.  Action...

In the past month, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread throughout much of the world, including to the United States.  Last week Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in California.  Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties, among others, have also declared a Local Health Emergency.  Action...

Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51) prohibited mandatory arbitration agreements in employment.  The new law was set to take effect on January 1, 2020.  However, the California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups sued to block AB 51.  They sought to have AB 51 declared preempted by the Federal...

On October 13, 2019, the Governor signed into law AB 218, which significantly extends the statute of limitations period for individuals to file civil lawsuits for childhood sexual abuse against persons and entities.  Similar legislation was passed by the California Assembly and Senate last year (AB...