Payroll deductions for state employees of public agencies, other than those under the uniform payroll system, shall be administered by the appropriate officer of the public agency. In administering payroll deductions the officer shall do all of the following:

(a) Make, cancel, or change a deduction at the request of the person or organization authorized to receive the deduction. All requests shall be on forms approved by the public agency.

(b) Obtain a certification from any state agency, employee organization, or business entity requesting a deduction that they have, and will maintain, an authorization to make the deduction, signed by the individual from whose salary or wages the deduction is to be made. An employee organization that certifies that it has and will maintain individual employee authorizations shall not be required to provide a copy of an individual authorization to the public agency unless a dispute arises about the existence or terms of the authorization.

(c) Provide for an agreement from organizations and business entities receiving deductions to relieve the public agency, its officers and employees, of any liability that may result from making, canceling, or changing requested deductions.

(d) Determine the cost of performing the requested deduction service and collect that cost from the organization, entity, or individual requesting or authorizing the deduction. Services requested which are incidental, but not necessary, to making the deduction may be performed at the public agency’s discretion, with any additional cost to be paid by the requester.

(e) Prior to making a deduction for an employee organization or a bona fide association, determine that the organization or association has been recognized or registered by the appropriate authority.

(f) Decline to make deductions for any individual, organization, or entity if the public agency determines that it is not administratively feasible or practical to make the deduction.

(g) Make, cancel, or change a deduction not later than the month subsequent to the month in which the request is received, except that a deduction for an employee organization can be revoked only pursuant to the terms of the employee’s written authorization. Employee requests to cancel or change deductions for employee organizations shall be directed to the employee organization, rather than to the public agency. The employee organization shall be responsible for processing these requests. The public agency shall rely on information provided by the employee organization regarding whether deductions for an employee organization were properly canceled or changed, and the employee organization shall indemnify the public agency for any claims made by the employee for deductions made in reliance on that information. All deductions, cancellations, or changes shall be effective when made by the public agency.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 53, Sec. 9. (SB 866) Effective June 27, 2018.)