The 15th GSRMA Annual Conference is a wrap! This year’s theme, “Vision”, is defined as the “the faculty or state of being able to see, or the ability to think about or plan for the future with imagination and wisdom.” The word, and its definition, embodies our goal for our interaction with our...Read More
Congratulations to Madera Cemetery District for being selected as a 2019 American Cemetery Excellence award runner-up!
American Cemetery & Cremation magazine highlighted this GSRMA member cemetery in their November 2019 issue along with cemeteries in New Orleans and Santiago, Chile. The article...Read More
By participating in GSRMA's Risk Management Accreditation Program member agencies can earn an award of up to 10% of their current year's contribution, subject to a maximum of $50,000 per member agency per year for a score less than 10%, and a maximum of $75,000 per member agency per year, when the...Read More
Congratulations to Stephen Wood, GSRMA's first Certified Safety Management Specialist (CSMS)! The CSMS is a designation awarded to those that have completed the nine-day Safety Management Specialist Program facilitated by the Safety Center. The course consists of completion of all course work and...Read More
This video was created by CSAC-EIA, our excess risk pool partner agency. It describes the current and projected state of the liability market and what member agencies can do as we work through this “hard” market.
We would like to notify you of some updates to the required labor law postings. Please review the information and links below. The updated posters should be printed and posted, replacing your existing California Pregnancy Disability Leave Notice (Your Rights and Obligations as a Pregnant Employee)...Read More
Following the passage of SB 1343 (harassment prevention training requirements for employers and supervisors), Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed SB 778, which extends the deadline for compliance by one year - from January 1, 2020 until January 1, 2021.
For additional information, please see...Read More
We are pleased to invite you to Golden State Risk Management Authority’s 15th Annual Training Conference. This year’s conference promises the perfect blend of education and entertainment!
The conference will be held on Wednesday, October 23rd and Thursday, October 24th at Colusa Casino in...Read More
In an effort to encourage greater transparency, the State Legislature passed legislation (SB 929) requiring all independent special districts to have a website by January, 2020. These websites must make available specific information including district and board member contact information, board...Read More
Attention RMAP applicants! The full application for the Risk Management Accreditation Program has been posted to GSRMA’s website. A link is provide here for your convenience:
GSRMA member agencies can earn an award of up to 10% of their current year's contribution,...Read More
California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board recently passed an emergency regulation for outdoor employees exposed to wildfire smoke. Employers will be required to provide respirators to workers exposed to unhealthy air. The new requirements specifically address fine particulate matter...Read More
As many now know, California passed several anti-harassment laws in 2018. The newly passed SB 1343 requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide harassment training to all employees (both supervisory and non-supervisory) by January 1, 2020. Volunteer fire fighters, part-time employees,...Read More
We are pleased to invite you to Golden State Risk Management Authority’s 15th Annual Training Conference.
This year, we will again be presenting a two day conference, which will be held on October 23, 2019 – October 24, 2019, at Colusa Casino in Colusa, CA. Please click below to see the Save the...Read More
With the adoption of SB 1343 California now requires employers to provide anti-harassment training for both supervisors (2-hours) and non-supervisors (1-hour). Target Solutions—the online platform that delivers free training for GSRMA members to your closest computer—is in the process of providing...Read More
At the May 8, 2019 meeting, the Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) Board of Directors ratified the election results for the Fire and Special District Representative seats on the Board. The following are the results of the election:
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Nominated Fire District: Comptche...Read More |
Since 2011, GSRMA members have had access to an HR hotline to handle routine labor and employment “HR” matters. Recently we changed vendors; the service has been expanded and we would like to give all of our members an opportunity to learn how the NEW program may be of value to your district....Read More
Technology has revolutionized the way we do business. The variety of threats to our data and computer systems are a real and growing concern. What has your organization done to mitigate these risks? In order to update policies and implement data protection controls to prevent this disruption to...Read More
Free On-line Training
The need for training is ever present in our work worlds. Training is mandated or required to maintain compliance, build and refresh skills and/or create awareness to trending topics. Unlike training on expensive new computers or equipment, administering safety programs is...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Ethics and Harassment Training in one day at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Brought to you at NO COST by Golden State Risk Management Authority, presented by Robert W. Hunt, Attorney at Law.
Choose from the following two available dates:
Wednesday, April 10,...Read More
At the January 9, 2019 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the candidate district list for the 2019 GSRMA Board election. The election is to be conducted from February 1 through April 19, 2019. Each district will get one vote each. The vote will either be by board action or by the...Read More
Friendly reminder -- February 1st (Friday) marks the deadline to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
One of the biggest exposures facing your entity is the handling of employees and employment-related issues. Employment-related claims are distracting, demoralizing and costly to organizations. However, they are mostly preventable. For this reason, GSRMA has provided members a Human Resources “HR”...Read More
Happy 2019 GSRMA Members!
The new year is well underway and with it comes some key employment-related bills that have been signed into law. By now, GSMRA members have received Labor Law Posters to have compliant workplace postings, but how about the complete legal update for boards and...Read More
We are happy to announce that the 2019 labor law posters will be shipped next week! Depending on the address of your district, they will arrive either via FedEx or USPS. If you do not receive your poster in the next few weeks, please contact our Member Services Department at ...Read More
Cal/OSHA’s emergency regulations requiring certain employers in California to electronically submit each year their Form 300A summaries of work-related injuries and illnesses to federal OSHA have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL).
These new requirements do not affect all...Read More
California passed several anti-harassment laws in 2018. Specifically, SB 1343 requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide training to all employees (both supervisory and on-supervisor) by January 1, 2020.
The new law requires employers with 5 or more employees conduct two hours of...Read More
Community members of all ages and backgrounds are increasing their use of social media tools as a way to connect to each other and the issues they care about. Not surprisingly, cities and counties are also increasing their use of these communications channels to reach residents. These articles and...Read More
Fantastic Fourteen!
GSRMA’s 14th Annual Training Conference opened October 18, 2018 at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, California and continued into October 19th. Many thanks to all those who attended, making “Dangerous Shoals” our best attended conference to date. Thursday’s session welcomed...Read More
We understand that employee training can be time consuming and expensive. A key component of GSRMA’s philosophy is to encourage training at all levels of your organization. As such, we offer a variety of attractive alternatives.
First, whatever your training plan is, your program will be enhanced...Read More
GSRMA's 14th annual training conference promises the perfect blend of education and entertainment! The conference will be held on Thursday, October 18th and Friday, October 19th at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning. We are pleased to present several great speakers who will deliver relevant subject...Read More
Attention RMAP applicants! The full application for the Risk Management Accreditation Program has been posted to GSRMA’s website. A link is provide here for your convenience:
This year's program has new features you will want to consider. For 2018-2019, members who...Read More
Below you will find a link to the Bylaws, as amended and passed on July 11, 2018, in Resolution No. 2018-03. Also linked below is the Resolution and Governing Board Member Election Timeline as referenced in Article III.B, Election of Board Members. This Timeline has been updated and is effective...Read More
We are pleased to invite you to Golden State Risk Management Authority’s 14th Annual Training Conference.
This year, we will again be presenting a two day conference, which will be held on Thursday, October 18, 2018 – Friday October 19, 2018, at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning, CA. Please click...Read More
GSRMA member agencies are afforded pollution coverage through the CSAC-EIA’s (EIA) Pollution Program. The EIA coverage placed with Tokio Marine Specialty Insurance Company (Philadelphia Insurance) will expire on July 1, 2018. Better pricing was able to be achieved with a new carrier, Illinois Union...Read More
Sadly, outdoor workers die every summer due to being inadequately prepared for the high temperatures. Prolonged sun exposure and physical exertion put outdoor workers at a special risk, especially for those who are not yet acclimated to the heat or at risk due to personal reasons such as...Read More
At the May 9, 2018 meeting, the Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) Board of Directors ratified the election results for the City, Cemetery and School District Representative seats on the Board. The following are the results of the election:
Nominated City: ...Read More
The California Labor Code requires that all “employees” be covered under a workers’ compensation insurance policy. Not only does the Labor Code define “employee,” it also provides guidance about who is not an employee and, therefore, not covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
Specifically,...Read More
We understand that circumstances often require employees to use their privately owned vehicles (POV) for business purposes. It is important for employees, managers, supervisors at all levels to understand an employee’s personal automobile policy is the primary coverage for liability and/or damages...Read More
Did you know that April has been designated as National Distracted Driving Month?
Distracted driving is driving while conducting any activity that deters the drivers’ attention from the task of driving the vehicle. This includes tasks such as talking on a cell phone, sending a text message,...Read More
Every year, GSRMA produces an annual report with detailed information about our entity, statistics and financials. Please click below to view the 2017 Annual Report.
If you would like a printed copy of the Annual Report, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org.
By Mark R. Velasquez, Esq.
Senate Bill 96 was signed into law on June 27, 2017 and became effective immediately. The bill makes some changes to prevailing wage including the following:
• The subcontractor list form submitted by bidders for public works contracts must now include the DIR...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Ethics and Harassment Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Thursday April 19, 2018 - click to register
Wednesday May 16, 2018 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
At the January 10, 2018 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the candidate district list for the 2018 GSRMA Board election. The election will be conducted from February 1, through April 20, 2018. There are three open positions on the Board, one for the Cemetery Districts, one for the...Read More
Unfortunately, it would appear there is a rise in theft and burglary statewide. Businesses suffer disproportionately from theft, burglary and robbery when you consider the number of homes vs. businesses in our communities. The most important thing you can do is call the police to report a crime or...Read More
Hello and Happy New Year GSRMA Members:
The following link will take you to our January calendar of training events:
http://gsrma.org/resources/events-training/
The first training event is just one week from today (and only available in person in the Dixon/Davis area). Have you resolved to do...Read More
It’s that time of year again -- February 1st marks the deadline to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
Employers take note - there are several new laws on the horizon for 2018 that potentially impact your operations. Below is a summary of the new laws. Please review each of these laws in greater detail to determine the impact for your organization.
Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual...Read More
By Mark R. Velasquez, Esq.
Hunt Jeppson & Griffin, LLP
On August 31, 2015, while James and Nancy Cartia were visiting the gravesite of James Cartia’s deceased wife and daughter at the Winton Cemetery, James Cartia tripped on some grass and fell into his wife and daughter’s headstone knocking it...Read More
With wet weather upon us, we here at GSRMA would like to urge you to take extra precautions while walking on floors that could potentially be wet or slippery. The best way to prevent falls is with engineering controls such as rough surfaces, minimizing transitions in flooring and designing walkways...Read More
The 13th Annual Conference of GSRMA was a success. The theme “Breakthrough to excellence…your safety program!” was the backdrop for networking and mingling as members were made aware of the importance of safety to our risk pool.
For the second year, the two day format was the best attended...Read More
Below you will find a link to the Bylaws, as amended and passed on September 27, 2017, in Resolution No. 2017-08. Also linked below is the Resolution and Governing Board Member Election Timeline as referenced in Article III.B, Election of Board Members. This Timeline has been updated and is...Read More
Safety programs and training should never be (permanently) crossed off your to-do list. Yet, evaluating the effectiveness and determining where to go next can be a challenge. Unfortunately, safety does not end with simply establishing a program suited to your operation. Managers and department...Read More
GSRMA’s 13th annual training conference promises the perfect blend of education and entertainment! The conference will be held on Thursday, October 19th and Friday, October 20th at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning. We are pleased to present several great speakers who will deliver relevant subject...Read More
The number one cause of employee death is motor vehicle collisions. How does your district protect employees from this risk? As our modern world becomes more and more complex, the simple task of driving and skill of driving defensively might be lost in the shuffle. Is this the case at your entity?...Read More
The 2017-2018 coverage year has begun! Please be on the lookout for the Summaries of Coverage that have been mailed to each district. Electronic copies of the Summaries of Coverage, MOCs and COCs are available via the GSRMA Member Portal. If you require assistance logging into the Portal, please...Read More
Risk management is the means by which we evaluate financial risks together with the identification of procedures to minimize their impact. In the past, the intent of the Loss Prevention Incentive Program has been to assist our members in the reduction of losses, enhance existing safety or loss...Read More
At our May Board Meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the 2016/2017 Loss Prevention Incentive Program (LPIP) Awards. The LPIP was created to provide GSRMA members an incentive to develop, implement and maintain safety and loss prevention programs. Attention to these operation details (and...Read More
Summer begins June 21st, but the season and all the opportunities for fun—and heat related hazards—are officially upon us. We hope you are all in the safety mindset and heat and water safety have been topics both in your homes and workplaces.
If not, it’s not too late! June is National Safety...Read More
Happy retirement to Cynthia Connelly, long time claims professional. Cynthia started with GSRMA in October of 1989 – 28 years of service! She has seen tremendous change in the organization that has grown from 3 employees to 15 and 40 members to over 266. Always witty and artistic, she has been a...Read More
What was the high temperature in your city yesterday? If you were anywhere in California, there is a good chance midday temperatures reached well in excess of 80 degrees, which is the temperature at which Cal OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention measures are required to be in place by California...Read More
GSRMA’s annual offerings of Ethics Training for Local Government & Harassment Prevention are now behind us. For the second year in a row we are pleased to offer not one but two sessions of this important compliance training to our membership. We sincerely appreciate all of you who attended and...Read More
At the May 10, 2017 meeting, the Golden State Risk Management Authority (GSRMA) Board of Directors ratified the election results for the Fire and Special District Representative seats on the Board. The following are the results of the election:
Nominated Fire...Read More
The GSRMA Annual Report for 2016 is now available!
Every year, GSRMA produces an annual report with detailed information about our entity, statistics and financials. Please click to view the 2016 Annual Report.
If you would like a printed copy of the Annual Report, please contact our Member...Read More
At the January 11, 2017 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors approved the candidate district list for the 2017 GSRMA Board election. The election will be conducted from February 1 through April 21, 2017. There are two open positions on the Board, one for fire districts and one for special...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Ethics and Harassment Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Wednesday April 5, 2017 - click to register
Wednesday May 17, 2017 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
The 2017 labor law posters have been shipped! Depending on the address of your district, they will arrive either via FedEx or USPS. If you do not receive your poster in the next week, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org or call us at 530-934-5633.
To assist...Read More
It’s that time of year: February 1st marks the deadline for you to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
Federal OSHA has revised requirements for recording and submitting records of workplace injury and illness, and the rule is effective January 1, 2017. Under the new rule, some of the recorded information will be submitted to OSHA electronically for posting to the OSHA website.
All public entities...Read More
At the September 20, 2016 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors reviewed and approved a trial run of an election process to fill the upcoming vacancies to the board. These vacancies will be for the board representative for the fire and special districts.
Please note: Nominations must be received...Read More
On November 18, 2016 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2016-70. This notice extends the due date for furnishing 2016 Form 1095-C statements to employees by 30 days, from January 31, 2017 to March 2, 2017. It also extends the deadline for health insurance issuers and other providers...Read More
Another wonderful Golden State Risk Management Authority Annual Conference is in the books! Although we might be a little biased, we think the 12th Annual GSRMA Training Conference was our best event yet. This year we introduced a new format for the conference. A second day of training, in the...Read More
Golden State Risk Management Authority is a member of CSAC-EIA’s property program. Every five (5) years, members of this program are required to participate in a property appraisal process. This process ensures the scheduling of accurate replacement costs for your locations. CSAC-EIA contracts...Read More
Thank you for your participation in the EIAHealth Program through GSRMA. We are proud to be able to provide employee health plans with stable and predictable rates to our members. Because of its stability and its competitive rates, the Program continues to attract new members, which only...Read More
At the September 20, 2016 meeting, the GSRMA Board of Directors reviewed and approved a trial run of an election process to fill the upcoming vacancies to the board. These vacancies will be for the board representative for the fire and special districts. Additional details and outreach will be sent...Read More
Allocating staff time and valuable, limited resources to safety programs and training can be difficult for small districts to justify. That is, until the inevitable day when OSHA comes knocking. When OSHA sits down to discuss safety with staff at your district, the value of your efforts is readily...Read More
Have you noticed a sharp increase of people in your district walking around strangely staring in their phones? Then you may be the victim of Niantic, Inc.’s latest game, Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go is similar to the original Pokémon game. You look for the critters called Pokémon, catch them by hitting...Read More
The GSRMA Loss Prevention Team and the City of Orland Safety Committee are pleased to offer Traffic Control and Flagging training at the Lely Park Recreation Center on September 27, 2016. The training will go from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. and lunch will be provided.
This training is appropriate for public...Read More
GSRMA’s 12th Annual Training Conference
We are holding our 12th annual training conference on October 20th - 21st at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning. Like our previous conferences, great speakers will present relevant subject matter in an entertaining manner. And this year we are expanding the...Read More
During the 2015-2016 year, GSRMA was no stranger to change--including adding staff to Member Services and Loss Prevention to continue to provide the best possible service to our ever-growing membership. As the newest member to the GSRMA Loss Prevention team, I am pleased to announce that the...Read More
As a July 1, 2016 compliance date comes closer, many public agencies are starting to discuss what this Senate Bill means and how it will affect them. SB 272 requires each local agency, except a local educational agency, to create a catalog of enterprise systems.
An enterprise system is defined as...Read More
By Mark Velasquez, Hunt Jeppson & Griffin, LLP
Before becoming a lawyer I was a flight instructor, and a commercial pilot. There are some interesting similarities between flight instructing and being a manager or board member of a district. One of them is in decision making. One thing flight...Read More
Three representatives begin new 2 year terms on the GSRMA Board of Directors in July 2016. The Willows Unified School District and the City of Williams were selected by random drawing at the GSRMA board meeting in March to provide representatives for our school and city member districts. Willows...Read More
Here we are again, it’s hot. We have officially moved from ‘use caution’ to ‘use extreme caution’ with regard to the steadily rising, here comes summer temperatures. Prolonged sun exposure and/or physical activity can cause a number of problems for those who are not yet acclimated to the heat...Read More
As a public agency, contracts are a part of doing business. However, contract language can be confusing and complex. Due to this complexity, Golden State Risk Management Authority is pleased to share the Insurance Requirements in Contracts (IRIC) Manual with our members.
IRIC is a great...Read More
On May 11, 2016 the Golden State Risk Management Authority Board of Directors approved a $250,000 dividend for its members.
The availability of funds for a dividend can be directly attributed to lower than anticipated claims costs and the overall positive performance of the pool over the last 10...Read More
Amendments to California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) regulations take effect today Friday, April 1, 2016, The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has released new final regulations that address (among other things) pregnancy and sexual harassment under the...Read More
Many California public entities that provide their employees health insurance coverage through CalPERS suffered large increases – some as high as 21% - in their medical insurance rates last year. This was not the case for those in the GSRMA Small Group Health Program. The GSRMA Small Group Health...Read More
Each year GSRMA provides our member agencies with an all-in-one state and federal labor law poster. This year’s posters shipped in January. If you have not received your poster, please contact our office.
Please note, there have been revisions to the Pregnancy Disability Leave Notice that was...Read More
This is a reminder that April 30th, 2016, is the deadline for cemetery members to notify us that their governing board has interest in having a board member serve on the GSRMA Board of Directors for the 2016 – 2018 term.
Last year, at the suggestion of PCA board representatives, the GSRMA Board...Read More
One of the most challenging aspects of being an employer in California, and one that we are constantly asked about through Golden State Risk Management Authority’s HR Hotline program, is navigating the interactive process to determine whether an injured/ill/disabled employee can be reasonably...Read More
The Affordable Care Act requires most individuals to obtain minimum health coverage or pay a penalty, with some exceptions. The penalty for not having coverage will be assessed for the 2015 tax year.
The IRS has clarified that individuals do not have to delay filing their 2015 income tax returns...Read More
Fulfill your mandated Harassment and Ethics Training in one day! These trainings will be held at Granzella's Banquet Facility in Williams, CA. Choose from the following two available dates:
Wednesday April 6, 2016 - click to register
Thursday May 12, 2016 - click to register
Please register by...Read More
Overview
The ACA created two new reporting requirements for calendar year 2015 to be reported in 2016. The reports are the Minimum Essential Coverage report (also known as MEC, the 6055 report or the 1094B and 1095B “B series” reports) and the Applicable Large Employer report (also known as ALE,...Read More
Overview
The ACA created two new reporting requirements for calendar year 2015 to be reported in 2016.This will be an annual requirement with data from the prior year being reported to the IRS and individuals in the first quarter of each year. The reports are the Minimum Essential Coverage report...Read More
UPDATE: The 2016 labor law posters have been shipped! Depending on the address of your district, they will arrive either via FedEx or USPS. If you do not receive your poster in the next week, please contact our Member Services Department at memberservices@gsrma.org or call us at 530-934-5633. Thank...Read More
It’s that time of year: February 1st marks the deadline for you to tabulate your annual OSHA Log Summary (OSHA Form 300A) and post it in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. This is the summary only (300A), not the OSHA 300 Form.
The OSHA Form 300A summary must list the...Read More
According to flu.gov, nearly 111 million workdays are lost due to the flu each year, costing employers approximately $7 billion per year in sick days and lost productivity. The flu season can begin as early as October and last until May. Influenza costs businesses an additional $10.4 billion in...Read More
Wishing you the happiest of holidays from all of us at Golden State Risk Management Authority!
The GSRMA office will be closed December 24th and 25th, and December 31st through January 1st, 2016.
Golden State Risk Management Authority participated in the Public Cemetery Alliance’s Annual Conference held on October 23rd, at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning, CA.
Twelve GSRMA staff attended the pre-conference dinner the evening of October 22nd. GSRMA co-sponsored the event with the PCA and...Read More
By all accounts, the 11th Annual Golden State Risk Management Authority Training Conference was another great success. We held the event on October 22nd, at Rolling Hills Resort in Corning, CA. The 123 people that attended the conference represented 51 of our member agency districts. Based on...Read More