BILL NUMBER: AB 305
VETOED DATE: 10/06/2015
To the Members of the California State Assembly:
I am returning Assembly Bill 305 without my signature.
This bill prohibits the use of certain gender-related characteristics
in the calculation of permanent disability benefits for injuries
occurring on or after January 1, 2016.
The workers compensation system must be free of gender-bias. No group
should receive less in benefits because of an immutable
characteristic. However, this bill is based on a misunderstanding of
the American Medical Association's evidence-based standard, which is
the foundation of the permanent disability ratings, and replaces it
with an ill-defined and unscientific standard.
Sincerely,
Edmund G. Brown Jr.