State Committee To Consider Revisions to Workers’ Comp
The Assembly Insurance Committee at a hearing on Wednesday will focus on how workers' compensation reform legislation affects rules and payments for temporary and permanent disabilities, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The debate will center on legislation (SB 899) -- signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2004 -- that reduced workers' compensation costs by half.
The California Federation of Labor and other employee advocacy groups have criticized the law for reducing benefits to injured workers, including limiting the duration of temporary disability from an unlimited period to 104 weeks. The legislation also reduced by half permanent disability payments for many injuries.
Labor officials at the hearing are expected to argue for extending the duration of temporary disability and increasing permanent disability payments.
Carrie Nevans, acting director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, is scheduled to testify at the hearing. A spokesperson for Nevans said the office is conducting a study on disability reforms and will not make recommendations until it is completed (Abate, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/28).