CaliforniaWorkers' compensation.
What it does
Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide all medical services reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury. Existing law establishes a Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and sets forth various proceedings that are required to be brought forth before the board.
More detail
Existing law authorizes an employer who pays or becomes obligated to pay compensation, salary in lieu of compensation, or an amount to the Department of Industrial Relations to make a claim or bring an action against a third person who caused the injury or death of an employee that gave rise to the employer's obligations. Existing law relieves the employer from an obligation to pay further compensation to or on behalf of the employee if the employer has paid litigation expenses, attorney's fees, and the employer's lien. Existing law requires any release or settlement of a claim to include notice to both the employer and employee, as specified, and the written consent of both the employer and employee, in order for the release or settlement to be valid. Existing law authorizes the appeals board to credit the employer with an amount equal to the recovery by the employee that has not been applied to certain expenses, to be applied against the employer's liability for compensation, as specified. Existing law authorizes an employer to enforce payment of a lien against a third party, or against the employee, if damages have been paid to the employee, in the manner provided for enforcement of money judgments.
This bill would state that when the injured employee is a peace officer, as defined, or a firefighter, the employer will be entitled to receive no more than 13 of the third-party defendant's liability insurance policy limit, if the employee establishes that their total damages exceed the net recovery after satisfaction of the employer's claim and that the total liability insurance limits available are insufficient to fully compensate the employer and employee's proven damages. The bill would limit an employer's right to reimbursement, subrogation, or lien to the maximum recovery threshold, as specified. The bill would prohibit an employer from asserting any recovery by one of these injured employees as a credit or offset against future workers' compensation benefits and would require a settlement or release to limit an employer's claim for reimbursement to the portion of the settlement not allocated to the employee pursuant to these provisions. The bill would limit these provisions to those peace officers and firefighters who are employed by certain local entities, such as a city or county, among others.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 13Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 763, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 13Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 23Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 13Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3023.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB487 Grayson et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 12In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 487 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Gipson. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 12Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 3392.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 16Coauthors revised.
- Jul 8From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on INS.Major
- Jun 5Referred to Com. on INS.Minor
- May 28In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 28Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 1285.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 23Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1202.) (May 23).Minor
- May 20Set for hearing May 23.
- May 19May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 9Set for hearing May 19.
- May 8May 12 hearing postponed by committee.
- May 2Set for hearing May 12.
- Apr 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 966.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 21From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.Major
- Apr 11Set for hearing April 30.
- Apr 2Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.Minor
- Mar 24From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Feb 26Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
- Feb 19Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced