California Extends COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Disputable Presumption and Claims Administrator Reporting Obligations

California Extends COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Disputable Presumption and Claims Administrator Reporting Obligations

On September 29, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 1751, which extends to January 1, 2024 a disputable presumption that any injury (defined to include illness or death resulting from COVID-19) that arose between March 19, 2020 and July 5, 2020 is compensable when sustained within 14 days of when an employee performed work at the employer’s place of employment at the employer’s direction. Also, California employers have a continued obligation to report COVID-19 cases to their workers’ compensation claims administrator within three business days of when the employer knows or reasonably should know that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19. The full text of this legislation can be found here.