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DWC Preparing Busy Regulatory Schedule

The Division of Workers’ Compensation has a stacked regulatory agenda planned for the coming year – some proposed regulations are the result of recent legislation while others are part of ongoing rulemaking efforts. Newly installed Administrative Director Nicole Richardson says the agency will be rolling out regulations to implement its planned electronic doctor’s first report … Read More »

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Legislators Wrap Up Session Without Major Reforms

California’s legislators completed their work for the session last month by passing many bills, but only a few related to the workers’ comp community. Earlier in the session, there was chatter about a comprehensive workers’ comp reform package, but in the end, any such discussion was put off until the next legislative session. Before legislators … Read More »

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Qualified Medical Evaluator System Findings

A report examining California’s qualified medical evaluator system (QME) found that the recent update to the med-legal fee schedule (MLFS) helped increase the supply of QMEs, but the additional QMEs are not evenly distributed around the state. Researchers at Rand note that the additional supply of QMEs is in the state’s more densely populated areas, … Read More »

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Staffing Registry Bill Held, PEO Bill Amended

Assembly Appropriations held a bill in committee that would have created a registry system for temporary staffing agencies, including a requirement to prove they had valid workers’ comp coverage. Another bill to create a state registry for Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) was watered down to instead only establish a weak statutory definition of PEOs and … Read More »

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Legislature Enters 9th Inning

California legislators returned to Sacramento this week for the final weeks of the session with a hefty load of bills to work through. The measures of interest to the workers’ comp community include bills to enhance anti-fraud efforts, hold carriers accountable for correcting problems, and enact staffing industry reforms. Already off the table were controversial … Read More »

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Legislation to Close Restitution Loophole

District attorneys and their representatives are supporting a bill that would apply the state’s general restitution statutes to all defendants who enter a diversion program to avoid a conviction on their record. Prosecutors note that there are 14 state-authorized diversion programs, but only 4 include a specific provision requiring defendants to pay restitution to victims. … Read More »

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Provider Contracts Bill Advances Over Employer Opposition

The Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement committee approved a bill addressing billing disputes over discounts in medical provider contracts after the author agreed to take the committee’s recommended amendments. It was the second time the committee approved the bill – AB 1048 by Assemblyman Phillip Chen (R-Brea) – which was back before the committee … Read More »

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Legislative Update May 20, 2026

The Senate and Assembly appropriations committees last week completed the dirty work of culling hundreds of bills from the suspense file, including a medical leave bill that promised injured workers time off to seek care for an industrial injury. Other measures applying to the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund and a staffing agency licensing program … Read More »

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