Senator Ashby's proposal to extend salary-protected disability leave to Sacramento County park rangers would modify California's existing leave provisions for public safety personnel. The measure adds park rangers employed by Sacramento County to the list of public employees who receive full salary during work-related disability leaves instead of standard workers' compensation payments.

Under current law, certain public safety employees - including police officers, firefighters, and probation officers - maintain their full salary when disabled by work-related injuries or illnesses, rather than receiving temporary disability payments. The leave period can last up to one year or until the employee begins receiving permanent disability pension payments. The bill's findings cite the unique nature of Sacramento County's regional parks as justification for extending this benefit specifically to park rangers in that jurisdiction.

The measure preserves existing exclusions for administrative and support staff whose duties fall outside active law enforcement or firefighting roles. It also maintains the provision that leave taken under this section does not count toward or reduce family and medical leave allowances. While the bill expands eligibility to an additional category of employees, it makes no changes to the fundamental structure or administration of the salary continuation benefit.