Two of the most popular bills during the 2024 legislative session would benefit local park rangers, and allow applicants to use e-signatures to sign settlement documents.
Lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly advanced bills that would allow the use of e-signatures on settlement documents, and provide salary continuation benefits to park rangers.
The California state Senate unanimously approved SB 1058 with a 37-0 vote on May 20. The bill would allow park rangers to receive their full salary (aka salary continuation benefits) instead of temporary disability benefits. The rangers are often employed by counties or special districts to patrol rural parks.
Now that the state Senate has approved the bill, it heads to the Assembly who must approve it before sending it to the governor’s desk. In other words, the bill still must clear multiple committees in the Assembly before going up before the entire Assembly for a final vote.
The park ranger bill is not the only one enjoying success with a unanimous vote – another bill allowing the use of e-signatures on settlement documents just cleared the state Assembly with a 73-0 unanimous vote. The bill, AB 2337, would amend Labor Code 5003 which governs signatures on the Compromise and Release settlement documents. The bill would allow an electronic signature to be used when there is an:
- Electronic signature
- An electronic record documenting who signed which papers, at which times, etc.
- And a notary’s electronic signature
AB 2337 still must be approved by the state Senate and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom before it could become law.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER
None of the bills discussed in this blog are law. They are all merely legislative proposals. In order to become law, bills need approval by the state Senate, the state Assembly, before they are sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Once they have arrived, Newsom may either sign them into law or veto them.
OTHER BILLS
Other interesting bills of note during this legislative session include:
SB 1299 – This bill would create a presumption that heat-related injuries are compensable, if the employer is shown to have failed to comply with heat illness prevention standards. This was recently passed by the Senate and needs approval from the Assembly before it could proceed to the governor’s desk.
SB 1205 – The state Senate recently passed this bill, which would allow applicants to receive TD benefits, transportation, meals, and lodging for medical treatment appointments – even after the applicant has been declared permanent and stationary. This bill seems kind of ludicrous in the respect that “temporary disability” is a wage replacement benefit for when a worker is temporarily disabled. Permanent and stationary status applies to applicants who are not temporarily disabled. If those two sentences do not make sense – it’s because this bill is ignoring two contradictory concepts, and shows a poor understanding of workers’ compensation terms of art. This bill would still need to pass the Assembly in order to make it to the governor’s desk. If it did make it to Gov. Newsom’s desk, this bill would be an easy candidate for a veto.
AB 1870 –This bill, which was passed by the Assembly, would require employers to put up posters notifying workers that they have the right to consult an attorney about work-related injuries. This bill would need to be approved by the Senate before it could reach Gov. Newsom’s desk.
SB 1071 – To fully understand this bill, one has to first know that in 2026, all licensed contractors would have to prove that they have workers’ compensation coverage. This bill, SB 1071, would eliminate coverage requirement for contractors who can prove they have no employees. This bill recently passed the Senate Appropriations Committee, and could see a floor vote in the near future. It would need Assembly approval before it could be sent to Gov. Newsom’s desk.
AB 3106 – This bill would provide greater protections for school employees who have Covid-19. For instance, it would call for school districts to continue to pay school employees while they are out on sick leave, and set forth specific requirements before a Covid-positive employee could return to work. To be clear – this bill would not apply to teachers who are receiving TD benefits via the workers’ compensation claim process. This bill is still in its early stages, and would need approval by both the Assembly and Senate before being presented to Gov. Newsom.
Got a question about workers’ compensation defense issues or pending legislation? Feel free to contact John P. Kamin. Mr. Kamin is a workers’ compensation defense attorney and partner at Bradford & Barthel’s Woodland Hills location, where he monitors the recent legislative affairs as the firm’s Director of the Editorial Board. Mr. Kamin previously worked as a journalist for WorkCompCentral, where he reported on work-related injuries in all 50 states. Please feel free to contact John at jkamin@bradfordbarthel.com or at (818) 654-0411.
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