BILL NUMBER: AB 2397	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Solorio

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

   An act to amend Section 4850 of the Labor Code, relating to
workers' compensation.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2397, as introduced, Solorio. Workers' compensation: public
employees: leaves of absence.
   Existing workers' compensation law requires employers to secure
the payment of workers' compensation, including medical treatment,
for injuries incurred by their employees that arise out of, and in
the course of, employment.
   Existing law generally provides that whenever certain public
employees who are employed on a regular, full-time basis, and are
disabled, whether temporarily or permanently, by injury or illness
arising out of, and in the course of, their duties, they are required
to become entitled, regardless of their period of service with the
public employer, to a leave of absence while so disabled without loss
of salary in lieu of temporary disability payments or maintenance
allowance payments, if any, for the period of disability, but not
exceeding one year, or until that earlier date as he or she is
retired on permanent disability pension, and is actually receiving
disability pension payment, or certain advanced disability pension
payment.
   This bill would provide that the injured employee and his or her
employer may mutually agree to extend the leave of absence under the
above-described provisions beyond the one year period of disability,
but that the extension may only be for a maximum of one additional
year.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 4850 of the Labor Code is amended to read:
   4850.  (a)  (1)    Whenever any person listed in
subdivision (b), who is employed on a regular, full-time basis, and
is disabled, whether temporarily or permanently, by injury or illness
arising out of and in the course of his or her duties, he or she
shall become entitled, regardless of his or her period of service
with the city, county, or district, to a leave of absence while so
disabled without loss of salary in lieu of temporary disability
payments or maintenance allowance payments under Section 139.5, if
any, that would be payable under this chapter, for the period of the
disability, but not exceeding one year,  unless the  
injured employee and his or her employer have mutually agreed to
extend the leave of absence beyond one year,  or until that
earlier date as he or she is retired on permanent disability pension,
and is actually receiving disability pension payments, or advanced
disability pension payments pursuant to Section 4850.3. 
   (2) If the injured employee and his or her employer mutually agree
to extend the leave of absence to which paragraph (1) applies beyond
one year, the extension may only be for a maximum of one additional
year. 
   (b) The persons eligible under subdivision (a) include all of the
following:
   (1) City police officers.
   (2) City, county, or district firefighters.
   (3) Sheriffs.
   (4) Officers or employees of any sheriff's offices.
   (5) Inspectors, investigators, detectives, or personnel with
comparable titles in any district attorney's office.
   (6) County probation officers, group counselors, or juvenile
services officers.
   (7) Officers or employees of a probation office.
   (8) Peace officers under Section 830.31 of the Penal Code employed
on a regular, full-time basis by a county of the first class.
   (9) Lifeguards employed year round on a regular, full-time basis
by a county of the first class.
   (10) Airport law enforcement officers under subdivision (d) of
Section 830.33 of the Penal Code.
   (11) Harbor or port police officers, wardens, or special officers
of a harbor or port district or city or county harbor department
under subdivision (a) of Section 830.1 or subdivision (b) of Section
830.33 of the Penal Code.
   (12) Police officers of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
   (c) This section shall apply only to persons listed in subdivision
(b) who meet the requirements of subdivision (a), and shall not
include any of the following:
   (1) Employees of a police department whose principal duties are
those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist,
mechanic, or otherwise, and whose functions do not clearly fall
within the scope of active law enforcement service.
   (2) Employees of a county sheriff's office whose principal duties
are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist,
mechanic, or otherwise, and whose functions do not clearly come
within the scope of active law enforcement service.
   (3) Employees of a county probation office whose principal duties
are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist,
mechanic, or otherwise, and whose functions do not clearly come
within the scope of active law enforcement service.
   (4) Employees of a city fire department, county fire department,
or fire district whose principal duties are those of a telephone
operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist, mechanic, or otherwise, and
whose functions do not clearly fall within the scope of active
firefighting and prevention service.
   (d)  If the employer is insured, the payments that, except for
this section, the insurer would be obligated to make as disability
indemnity to the injured, the insurer may pay to the insured.
   (e) No leave of absence taken pursuant to this section by a peace
officer, as defined by Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of
Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or by a city, county, or
district firefighter, shall be deemed to constitute family care and
medical leave, as defined in Section 12945.2 of the Government Code,
or to reduce the time authorized for family care and medical leave by
Section 12945.2 of the Government Code.
   (f) This section shall not apply to any persons described in
subdivision (b) who are employees of the City and County of San
Francisco.