In a bid to retain federal funding for California's transit systems, Gov. Brown is expected to soon sign an emergency bill to exempt state transit workers from his pension reform program.
Assembly Bill 1222, authored by Assemblymembers Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica), will exempt mass transit workers from Gov. Brown's California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). If the Legislature and Governor fail to pass AB 1222, California stands to lose $1.6 billion in federal grant funding for 2013 alone.
Due to the time-sensitive nature of the situation AB 1222 has been introduced as an "urgency" measure. AB 1222 needs two-thirds support in the Assembly and Senate, as well as Gov. Brown's signature, to take effect immediately.