Loyalty Affirmation for Public Employees

In the City of Los Angeles, the Loyalty Oath is administered by those deputized to deliver the oath by the Office of the City Clerk using Form 132b.

The term “disaster service worker” includes all public employees and all volunteers in any disaster council or emergency organization accredited by the California Emergency Council. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, city and county, state agency or public district, excluding aliens legally employed. (CA Government Code §3101).

By law, all disaster service workers shall, before they enter upon the duties of their employment, take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation set forth in the California Constitution that declares them to be disaster service workers in time of need (CA Government Code §3102).

To ensure that public employees can be paid and reimbursed for expenses they incur when they serve as disaster service workers, “It shall be the duty of the person certifying to public payrolls to ascertain and certify that such disaster service worker has taken such oath or affirmation. Whenever there is more than one officer certifying to public payrolls the governing body of a city or county or school district may designate and make it the duty of a certain officer or officers to ascertain and certify that such disaster service worker has taken such oath or affirmation.  The governing body of a city or county or school district may designate and make it the duty of a local disaster service officer to ascertain and certify that each volunteer disaster service worker has taken such oath or affirmation.” (CA Government Code §3107).

Public employees acting as disaster service workers can get paid and reimbursed for expenses only if they have taken and subscribed to the oath or affirmation prior to serving as a disaster service worker (CA Government Code §3107).