Category Archives: Senate Bill

ANALYSIS: CALIFORNIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LOSSES PAID OUT INCREASED FOLLOWING SENATE BILL 863

According to a report from the Insurance Journal, the total amount of workers’ compensation losses paid has gradually increased over the past decade. Notably, this comes after the passing of Senate Bill 863 (SB 863), which reformed the handling of medical treatment disputes in workers’ compensation claims in California. SB 863 was signed into law […]

SENATE BILL 1127 IMPOSES INCREASED PENALTIES ON CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS THAT UNREASONABLY DENY CERTAIN POLICE OFFICER WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS

On September 29, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1127 (SB 1127). The bill reforms California’s workers’ compensation laws to provide additional statutory protections to many public safety workers—specifically most police officers and firefighters. Notably, the bill imposed substantially increased penalties on employers that deny certain types of police/firefighter workers’ compensation claims involving presumptive […]

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SENATE BILL 1127 (WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS INVOLVING POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS)

In September 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1127 (SB 1127) into law. The bill amends several sections of the California Labor Code (3761, 4656, 5402, and 5414.3) and has important implications for workers’ compensation insurance, specifically regarding the available benefits for certain police officers and firefighters. The law officially took effect on […]

PROPOSED BILL WOULD REQUIRE CALIFORNIA LICENSED PHYSICIANS FOR UTILIZATION REVIEW (UR)

According to a report from the California Globe, a recently proposed state law (California Senate Bill 636 (SB 636)) would require the use of a California-licensed physician for a utilization review in a workers’ compensation claim. Within this article, our Bakersfield workers’ compensation defense attorney highlights the key things employers, claims administrators, and insurance companies […]

PROPOSED WORKERS’ COMPENSATION REFORM BILL IN CALIFORNIA WOULD REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO COVER SERVICES OF A SOCIAL WORKER IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

According to reporting from Business Insurance, a proposed workers’ compensation reform bill in California would put a new obligation on employers: The duty to cover the professional services of a licensed social worker when deemed necessary to help an employee recover from the after effects of an on-the-job injury. In this blog post, our Sacramento […]

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR VETOES SENATE BILL 788 (WHAT IT MEANS FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS)

Earlier this year, California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 788 (SB-788)—reform legislation that would, among other things, prohibit “discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation” in the determination for permanent disability ratings. If enacted, the law would have had significant implications for workers’ compensation claims. However, the legislation has been vetoed. In […]

CALIFORNIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION WATCH: STATE SENATE PASSES NEW BILL THAT REDUCES TIME FOR EMPLOYERS/INSURERS TO INVESTIGATE AND DENY CLAIMS

According to a report from Business Insurance, the California State Senate passed Senate Bill 335 (SB 335), a piece of workers’ compensation reform legislation that would, among other things, reduce the amount of time that employers/insurers have to deny a workers’ compensation claim. In this blog post, our Fresno workers’ compensation defense lawyers explain the […]