California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would require the governor to appoint a small-business owner to the State Compensation Insurance Fund board of directors.
A.B. 61, sponsored by Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, would “ideally offer practical advice on the role that workers compensation has on small businesses across” California, according to a statement from his office in July.
The board consists of 11 members, nine of whom are appointed by the governor. A.B. 61 would have required that the governor appoint one current or former small-business owner who is or has been a small-business owner for more than five years, according to the bill’s latest text.
“I have not seen evidence that the Fund is lacking insight relative to the needs of its many small-business policyholders. Nevertheless, if the Fund needs to improve its expertise in this area, current law provides sufficient opportunity to appoint board member with experience running a small business,” Gov. Brown said in his veto message.
Medical payments per workers compensation claim in 2016 decreased by 9% in California over three years, according to a report released Thursday by the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau.