BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 483
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 13, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                AB 483 (Buchanan) - As Introduced:  February 24, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                               
          InsuranceVote:10-0
                        Judiciary                                 10-0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires a licensed workers' compensation rating  
          agency (the Workers Compensation Insurance Review Board- WCIRB)  
          to establish and maintain a website to help individuals  
          ascertain whether an employer carries workers' compensation  
          coverage. In addition, this bill specifies the functionality and  
          data availability of the website in terms of what information  
          will be available to the public. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Absorbable costs to WCIRB to contract for establishing and  
          maintaining the website required by this bill. The WCIRB is  
          funded by membership fees and assessments. No state GF is used  
          to support WCIRB. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill is sponsored by the California Labor  
            Federation, AFL-CIO to increase the amount of information  
            available about employers' workers' compensation coverage.  
            Under current law, specific information about firms' coverage  
            can be obtained upon written request from WCIRB.  

           2)The WCIRB  is a nonprofit association comprised of more than  
            400 companies licensed to transact California workers'  
            compensation insurance in California. The WCIRB is a licensed  
            rating organization and the designated statistical agent for  
            the California Department of Insurance. 









                                                                  AB 483
                                                                  Page  2

           3)Related Legislation  . AB 1883 (De La Torre) in 2006 included a  
            provision similar to this bill's requirements for a website.  
            AB 1883 was vetoed due to concerns about a website not  
            improving access to information or failing to reduce workers'  
            compensation fraud. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081