BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
586 (Huber)
Hearing Date: 8/17/2009 Amended: 7/2/2009
Consultant: Bob Franzoia Policy Vote: L&IR 4-1
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 586 would revise existing presumptions that
certain medical conditions which arose during the course of
employment, that currently apply to specified fire fighters and
peace officers, would apply to all fire fighters and peace
officers, as defined by specified Labor Codes. This bill would
provide that the existing presumptions for hernia, cancer,
leukemia, heart trouble, pneumonia, blood borne infectious
disease, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin
infection, tuberculosis, and meningitis shall apply to all fire
fighter and peace officers.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Expanded workers' com- $40-$78 $80-$155 $80-$155 General
pensation presumption
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Under current law, fire fighters and peace officers are granted
the benefit of the presumptions of compensability based upon
their employer. Generally, the statutes establishing the
presumptions refer to governmental entities, departments or
agencies as a means of identifying who may be eligible for the
presumption. This bill would provide that any of the existing
presumptions that certain conditions which arose during the
course of employment, now applicable to certain fire fighters
and peace officers of state and local governments, shall apply
to all fire fighters and peace officers as defined by Penal Code
Sections 830.1 to 830.38.
Information to determine the fiscal impact of the broader
eligibility proposed by this bill is unavailable. To provide
some estimate of the potential impact, the addition of these
presumptions will lead to increased costs to the University of
California (UC) workers' compensation program because claims
that may not have been approved in the past will now
automatically be approved under the presumption. There are
approximately 386 peace officers and 45 firefighters within the
UC system. The total amount of workers' compensation benefits
provided to UC peace officers and fire fighters in 2008 was
$1,548,537. If increasing the presumptions increases the
benefits paid to these persons by five percent to ten percent,
the UC will have new costs of $77,426 to $154,854 annually. The
impact of the California State University is likely to be less.
Cities, counties, and special districts will experience similar
cost pressure.