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.