Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that extends the COVID-19 presumptions under SB 1159 (Labor Codes 3212.86, 3212.87, and 3212.88) through January 1, 2024. The presumptions were previously set to expire on January 1, 2023.
Separately, an additional bill, SB 1127, signed by Governor Newson, reduces the 90-day period to determine compensability to 75 days for certain presumptions related to First Responders, Firefighters, and Peace Officers who suffer specific types of injuries covered in Labor Codes 3212 – 3212.85 and Labor Codes 3212.9 – 3213.2. (Ex: presumptions dealing with cancer, hernia, heart trouble, pneumonia, etc.)
The bill also allows up to 240 weeks of temporary disability for some of these presumptions.
Finally, and most shockingly, the bill increased penalties for delayed benefits for all presumptions covered in SB 1127 and capped them at a whopping $50,000!
Source: WorkCompCentral, October 3, 2022
