California bill would extend COVID presumption by two years
California’s presumption that COVID-19 is compensable for workers compensation under certain circumstances would be extended by two years under a bill introduced Tuesday.
A.B. 1751 would extend until Jan. 1, 2025, the COVID-19 presumption scheduled to sunset at the start of 2023.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2020 signed S.B. 1159, which identified several conditions under which it would be presumed that a worker contracted COVID-19 through employment. The presumption automatically expires Jan. 1, 2023.
The presumption for firefighters, peace officers and health care workers is triggered by someone testing positive within 14 days of going to work.
Other workers must test positive within 14 days of going to a workplace experiencing an outbreak to trigger the presumption. The 2020 bill defined an outbreak to mean at least 4% of workers — or at least four people at a company with 100 or fewer workers — tested positive.
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