The proposition aimed to address the issue of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics being required to remain on-call during meal and rest breaks.

Under existing California labor laws, employers are required to provide meal and rest breaks to their employees.

Proposition 11 sought to establish an exception to existing labor laws for private-sector ambulance employees.

[3] It aimed to allow these employees to be reachable during their breaks and respond to emergency calls without violating labor laws.

Proponents of Proposition 11, such as American Medical Response who was the main campaign contributor in support,[4] claimed that uninterrupted meal and rest breaks for EMTs and paramedics would lead to delayed emergency responses, potentially endangering lives.