Calif. committee passes presumptive claims investigation bill
The California Assembly Insurance Committee passed a bill that would shave 15 days off the time that employers have to accept liability on first responders’ claims for conditions that are presumed to arise out of employment.
At the same time, the committee on Wednesday did not pass a bill proponents characterized as a “gender equity” measure that would create new presumptions for hospital workers. The committee did not vote on the measure because no member moved to pass the bill.
The committee voted 10-2 to send SB 1127 to the Appropriations Committee.
The bill would give employers 75 days to accept liability for presumptive claims instead of the 90 they currently are allowed. It would also create a new penalty of up to $50,000 if the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board determines an employer unreasonably denied a claim for a presumptive injury.
The bill would also give police and firefighters with presumptive cancer claims up to 240 weeks of temporary disability benefits. Injured workers are typically entitled to up to 104 weeks of temporary disability benefits in a five-year period, with the exception of hepatitis, amputations, severe burns and a handful of other specified types of catastrophic injuries that are eligible for 240 weeks.
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