Existing law authorizes the Employment Development Department to administer the state disability insurance program, which provides for the partial compensation for the wage losses suffered by eligible individuals unemployed because of disability in the form of disability benefits. Existing law establishes, within the state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits to workers who take time off work to care for a seriously ill family member, to bond with a minor child within one year of birth or placement, or to participate in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the individual’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent in the United States Armed Forces, as specified. Under existing law, workers are required to pay contributions to the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, and those funds are continuously appropriated for the purpose of providing disability benefits and making payment of administrative expenses.

This bill would require the department to collect demographic data for individuals who claim disability benefits under those programs, including race and ethnicity data and sexual orientation and gender identity data. The bill would require the department to adopt and update demographic data collection standards, procedures, and processes to implement the bill, as prescribed. The bill would require the department to develop, make available online, and update quarterly a public-facing dashboard that publishes disaggregated demographic data pertaining to program participation by individuals, as specified. The bill would require the department to implement these demographic data collection and dashboard requirements on or before July 1, 2026. Because this bill would require the expenditure of funds from the fund for a new administrative purpose, the bill would make an appropriation.