CPF uses the following internal coding system to establish and track positions:
- Sponsor-1 (SP-1): CPF sponsored bills are designated with SP-1. This indicates CPF’s highest level of engagement and activity. On each sponsored bill CPF’s Leg Team secures authors, drafts language, develops letters and background sheets, meets with legislators and testifies in committees on these bills.
- Co-Sponsor-1 (CSP-1): CPF co-sponsored bills indicate that CPF and another organization or organizations have brought this issue forward to a member of the Legislature. For example, AB 2998 (Bloom) relating to flame retardants is co-sponsored by CPF, NRDC, CEH and other organizations. For these measures, the efforts to develop letters and background sheets, draft bill language and meeting with legislators in order to secure support are shared with the co-sponsors.
- Testify Support 1 (T-1): This position is established when CPF supports and bill and is committed to testifying in support of the bill at each committee. CPF will also submit a support letter and may work with the sponsors of the bill to lobby members of the legislature to secure support for the measure.
- Support-2 (S-2): This position is established when CPF supports a bill likely at the request of an allied organization or legislator. Under this position CPF will submit a letter of support but may not testify or directly lobby on the measure unless asked by the supporting organization or legislator.
- Testify Oppose-1 (TO-1): This position is established when CPF opposes a measure that would directly or tangentially impact the CPF membership. When CPF establishes a TO-1 position CPF will submit a letter of opposition, lobby legislators to encourage opposition and testify in opposition during committee hearings.
- Oppose 2 (O-2): This position is established when CPF establishes a position to oppose a measure, but it does not rise to the level of TO-1 positioning. When this position is established CPF will submit a letter of opposition but may not testify before legislative committees.
- Watch-0 (W-0): This position is established to keep this bill on our tracking list but indicates that is likely unrelated to CPF membership and does not need to be acted on. When a bill is established as W-0 it is still “tracked” so the leg team can see if it is changed into a form that may be of interest to CPF.
- Watch-1 (W-1): This designation is for a bill that should be watched and may have a closer nexus to a CPF priority issue. With a W-1 the Leg Team may watch the committee hearing or go talk to the bill’s author for more information. In addition, this designation may include direction to reach out to locals or to talk to other allied organizations like the California Labor Federation.