California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed three bills he said would have interfered with the state’s workers’ compensation system.
SB 1115 Permanent Disability Apportionment would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, religious creed, color or status in other protected classes. Current law prohibits improper discrimination and the bill would have injected uncertainty into the apportionment process, according to the American Insurance Association.
SB 1717 Permanent Disability Benefits would have increased permanent disability indemnity benefits paid to injured workers by increasing the number of weeks that such benefits are paid.
AB 2969 Utilization Review Physicians would have forbid the use of workers’ compensation utilization review physicians not licensed in California.
AIA indicated it was pleased the Governor had vetoed the three bills. “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made the right decision when he used his veto pen to stop legislation that would have interfered with California’s stabilized workers’ compensation system,” the association said in a statement.
The association had initially opposed and sough vetoes of the measures.
To view the Governor’s veto messages, visit http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/10703/.
Sources: AIA, Governor’s Office