W/C BILL UNVEILED

On Jan. 9, Senator John Burton (D-San Francisco) introduced and read for the first time Senate Bill 71, a workers’ compensation bill that may be an important piece in solving California’s workers’ comp crisis. The proposed law calls for the Senate Office of Research to conduct a study to determine the appropriate level of workers’ comp benefits. The legislative counsel’s digest states: “The study shall provide a recommended schedule upon which benefits are to be raised. The study shall seek to identify, where appropriate, any potential efficiencies within the workers’ comp system.” SB 71 is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Thomas Calderon (D-Montebello), chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee; and Senator Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar), chairman of the Senate Industrial Relations Committee.