Join a committee: Contact Deanna Tibbett at (916) 444-6670 or submit an online form.

CalChamber committees are responsible for forming CalChamber policies. CalChamber policy guides the CalChamber's legislative advocates as they lobby on matters that concern California businesses. To ensure that CalChamber policy reflects the concerns of CalChamber members, committees are made up of interested CalChamber members who volunteer.

The committees:

• Draft and recommend policies to the CalChamber Board of Directors.
• The policy becomes official when adopted by the Board.
• Each committee focuses on a subject (or related subjects) of concern to business.

Policy Committees

 

Climate Change
Monitors implementation of AB 32 climate change legislation and its impact on California businesses, including Air Resources Board activities; risk management and corporate strategies to help lessen the financial burden of climate change mitigation effots; and national/global efforts that could help California businesses grow and promote their technologies/services elsewhere. (Must be CalChamber Board member to join.)
Staff Contact: Amisha Patel

Education
Fosters greater business involvement to improve both teacher and student performance and administrative accountability in schools throughout California. (Membership by appointment.) 
Staff Contact: John Hooper

 

Health Care Policy 
Promotes a sound and affordable health care system. Works to contain costs and avoid unnecessary and expensive regulatory controls, including mandates. (Membership by appointment.)
Staff Contact: Marti Fisher

Labor and Employment
Works to protect employers' rights to organize, direct and manage their companies' employees in an efficient, safe and productive manner.
Staff Contact: Marti Fisher

Legal Reform and Protection
Seeks comprehensive tort reform legislation that will halt runaway liability risk and promote greater fairness, efficiency and economy in the civil justice system.
Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen
 

Small Business

Represents the small business viewpoint on priority legislation in cooperation with other standing committees of the CalChamber.  Promotes legislative action on key issues through the grass-roots network of local chambers and small businesses.

Staff Contact: Marti Fisher, Robert Callahan
 

Taxation
Monitors legislation and regulatory activity to ensure that California tax laws are fair and can be administered easily.  Reviews state spending plans to make certain that economy and efficiency are the primary goals of government. 
Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen

 

Tourism
Supports investment in promoting California as a tourism destination to help maintain the tourism industry as a key factor in California’s economic well-being. (Membership by appointment.)
Staff Contact: Marc Burgat

Transportation and Infrastructure
Works toward developing and maintaining a statewide transportation network that is adequate for the needs of business, agriculture and individual citizens.
Staff Contacts: Dave Ackerman, Jason Schmelzer

Water Resources
Encourages responsible water quality goals and water development policies to meet the increasing demand for reliable water supplies. (Membership by appointment.)
Staff Contact: Valerie Nera

 

Workers' Compensation
Promotes legislative, judicial and regulatory actions that maintain an efficient workers' compensation system that provides adequate worker benefits while protecting the competitive position of California employers.
Staff Contact: Jason Schmelzer

Ad Hoc Committees

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Provides employers with a conduit for communicating with lawmakers and advocating environmentally sound development and use of agricultural and natural resources in a manner that provides optimum economic benefits while protecting property rights.
Staff Contact: Valerie Nera

Energy and Telecommunications
Recommends policies on issues concerning utilities and commerce, including electricity, telecommunications, commercial transactions, corporate governance, economic stimulus and development.
Staff Contact: Amisha Patel, Marc Burgat

Environmental Regulation
Oversees issues related to air quality and hazardous and solid waste, and recommends policies that meet the mutual objectives of protecting human health and the environment while conserving the financial resources of business to the fullest extent possible. 
Staff Contact: Jason Schmelzer

Immigration
Recommends policies on issues concerning immigration.
Staff Contact: Jeanne Cain

Public Policy
Ensures that annual policy committee agendas presented to the Board of Directors effectively address business community issues at the state, federal and/or international level; evaluates evolving issues on a timely basis and subsequently assign issues to an existing policy committee or a new ad hoc task force for action; and provides oversight and direction on efforts to increase member participation in the policy committee process.
Staff Contact: Marc Burgat

Working Groups

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Consists of CalChamber member companies interested in being involved with CalChamber policy development and advocacy efforts in the area of IPR or who want to keep apprised of state legislation or policy issues having an impact on IPR.
Staff Contact: Kyla Christoffersen