MINUTES
FOR THE REGULAR MEETING
CALIFORNIA UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPEALS BOARD
Docket No. 5728
Open Session
The Appeals Board meeting convened at 11:00 a.m., August 12, 2026, with Chair Michael Allen presiding.
1. Roll Call: Members Present Absent
Michael Allen, Chair x
Laura Kent-Monning, Vice-Chair x
Mike Eng x
Bob Wieckowski x
Richard Roth x
2. Approval of Minutes:
The Board approved the July 15, 2026, Meeting Minutes.
3. Chair's Report:
Since the last meeting, the Board resolved approximately 883 second-level appeals and nine tax petition appeals, all of which were processed through CAMS. Chair Allen thanked the Board and the members of the CUIAB organization for their work.
4. Board Member Reports:
Member Eng echoed appreciation for the agency’s staff and commended the field and appellate operations ALJs for their work on tax petitions.
5. Public Comment:
No public comment.
6. Chief ALJ/Executive Director, Michael Cutri Report:
In July, the average daily appeals intake continued the past eleven-month trend of relatively low incoming appeals. The field offices issued 15,717 decisions, closing approximately 15.6% of first-level appeals within 30 days and 44.3% within 45 days. The average case age was approximately 32 days. CUIAB typically experiences a seasonal decline in production during the summer due to ALJ separations and increased leave usage. CUIAB is tracking leave and attrition, and is prepared to augment capacity with retired annuitants or ALJ recruitments as workload may demand.
To normalize statewide wait times, CUIAB transferred 1,100 cases between field offices through CAMS.
There were no security or threat incidents during the past month.
Member Eng inquired about the status of ALJ separations and recruitments. Chief Cutri reported that there had been one additional retirement since the last Board meeting, bringing the total number of ALJ separations to eight this year. ALJ leave use for June was equivalent to approximately 20 ALJs. Member Eng also inquired about the potential budgetary impact of the ALJ separations. Chief Cutri advised that Chief Silva would address this topic during the budget presentation.
7. Supervising ALJ for Appellate Operations, Rebecca Bach Report:
In July, 91.8% of second-level appeals were resolved within 45 days and 99.7% within 75 days. The average case age was 22 days, significantly ahead of the national average.
Member Wieckowski asked about the likelihood of eliminating the balance of open cases in the next few months with current staffing levels. SJ Bach advised that because appeals continuously arrive, AO does not forecast a full elimination of the open case inventory.
8. Chief Information Officer, John Caampued Report:
Chief Information Officer Caampued reported that migrating the Office of Tax Petitions to CAMS remains IT’s top priority and that the work is progressing. IT continues to work on CAMS enhancements and modernizing technology platforms.
Chair Allen offered comments and thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI).
Vice-Chair Kent-Monning thanked Chief Caampued for his work and requested that the Board receive information regarding the use of AI at a future meeting.
Member Eng inquired about the implications of cyberattacks on CUIAB’s infrastructure. CIO Caampued reported that CUIAB works closely with the Department of Technology, adheres to state security guidelines and controls, and receives notifications about potential threats to the agency’s infrastructure and vulnerabilities.
Member Roth asked whether the California Department of Military continues to conduct IT audits. CIO Caampued confirmed that it does.
Member Wieckowski inquired about the migration of the tax petition workload into CAMS. CIO Caampued reported that the cases will be transitioned in phases and monitored for potential technical complications.
9-10. Action Item – Review and Approval of 2026-2027 Fiscal Year Budget:
Chief Silva provided an overview and proposal for the adoption of CUIAB’s 2026/2027 Budget. Prior to the May revision, the estimated base budget was $75.2 million. As a result of adjustments, the proposed budget allocation is now $70.2 million.
Member Wieckowski inquired whether the proposed overtime allocation was intended to address the potential for sudden workload spikes. Chief Silva confirmed this to be the intent rather than hiring additional staff for temporary workload increases.
Chair Allen inquired about the differences between budget projections during the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Silva explained that during the pandemic, CUIAB did not initially have sufficient budgetary authority to address increased staffing needs, but quickly received additional authority through the budget-revision process. He further explained that CUIAB’s operating reserve enabled it to respond to the workload demands before the additional budget authority was formally received.
Member Roth asked whether the Department of Finance or Labor and Workforce Agency provide guidelines regarding operating reserves. Chief Silva advised that they do not. CUIAB’s budget needs are addressed in coordination with EDD’s Fiscal Programs Division.
Member Eng asked for clarification regarding the apparent net reduction in personnel positions from the prior year’s budget. Chief Silva advised that the budget proposal does not constitute an elimination of positions, but rather a reduction in the number of positions requested for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Member Eng also asked about the relationship between overtime allocation and the net personnel authorization reduction. Chief Silva explained that the overtime allocation may only be utilized by support staff, and the employee salary budgeted amounts reflect both ALJ and support staff positions. Lastly, Member Eng asked whether the proposed budget contained sufficient reserves to enable CUIAB to ramp up quickly in response to unexpected workload needs. Chief Silva advised that the proposed budget contains a substantial operative reserve that would permit hiring beyond the projected staffing levels prior to undertaking a formal budget revision, consistent with the approach used during the pandemic.
Chair Allen emphasized the importance of “right-sizing” the organization in order to ensure its ability to respond to unexpected workload increases without requiring significant layoffs when workload declines.
The Board unanimously adopted the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 budget proposal.
Closed Session:
There was no closed session.
Adjournment