Findings and Declarations. The people of the State of California find and declare as follows:
(a) Hundreds of thousands of Californians are choosing to work as independent contractors in the modern economy using app-based rideshare and delivery platforms to transport passengers and deliver food, groceries, and other goods as a means of earning income while maintaining the flexibility to decide when, where, and how they work.
(b) These app-based rideshare and delivery drivers include parents who want to work flexible schedules while children are in school; students who want to earn money in between classes; retirees who rideshare or deliver a few hours a week to supplement fixed incomes and for social interaction; military spouses and partners who frequently relocate; and families struggling with California’s high cost of living that need to earn extra income.
(c) Millions of California consumers and businesses, and our state’s economy as a whole, also benefit from the services of people who work as independent contractors using app-based rideshare and delivery platforms. App-based rideshare and delivery drivers are providing convenient and affordable transportation for the public, reducing impaired and drunk driving, improving mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities, providing new transportation options for families who cannot afford a vehicle, and providing new affordable and convenient delivery options for grocery stores, restaurants, retailers, and other local businesses and their patrons.
(d) However, recent legislation has threatened to take away the flexible work opportunities of hundreds of thousands of Californians, potentially forcing them into set shifts and mandatory hours, taking away their ability to make their own decisions about the jobs they take and the hours they work.
(e) Protecting the ability of Californians to work as independent contractors throughout the state using app-based rideshare and delivery platforms is necessary so people can continue to choose which jobs they take, to work as often or as little as they like, and to work with multiple platforms or companies, all the while preserving access to app-based rideshare and delivery services that are beneficial to consumers, small businesses, and the California economy.
(f) App-based rideshare and delivery drivers deserve economic security. This chapter is necessary to protect their freedom to work independently, while also providing these workers new benefits and protections not available under current law. These benefits and protections include a healthcare subsidy consistent with the average contributions required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); a new minimum earnings guarantee tied to 120 percent of minimum wage with no maximum; compensation for vehicle expenses; occupational accident insurance to cover on-the-job injuries; and protection against discrimination and sexual harassment.
(g) California law and rideshare and delivery network companies should protect the safety of both drivers and consumers without affecting the right of app-based rideshare and delivery drivers to work as independent contractors. Such protections should, at a minimum, include criminal background checks of drivers; zero tolerance policies for drug- and alcohol-related offenses; and driver safety training.
(Added November 3, 2020, by initiative Proposition 22, Sec. 1. Effective December 16, 2020.)