California SB1159 – FAQs
The enactment of SB 1159 has raised a lot of questions. Our friends at Sullivan On Comp has compiled answers to the most
frequently asked questions in this section. The DIR also provides answers to frequently asked questions relating to
SB 1159 on its website.
What evidence may be used to rebut the COVID-19 presumptions?
All three presumptions may be rebutted by any evidence. The outbreak presumption in Labor Code § 3212.88 adds
language
that such evidence “includes, but is not limited to, evidence in place to reduce the transmission of COVID-19
in the employee’s
place of employment and evidence of an employee’s non occupational risk of COVID-19 infection.
” This extra language appears
to be a matter of guidance but does not limit the scope of available discovery.
Does the codification of the governor’s order mean that it is no longer subject to constitutional challenge?
Yes, it seems so. There was some question as to the constitutionality of the governor’s order. The Legislature has
plenary power over the workers’ compensation system under the California Constitution. Now that the Legislature
has effectively codified the governor’s order, it has gone through the proper procedure and is not subject to
constitutional challenge. Note that the
presumptions established under SB 1159 are repealed as of Jan. 1, 2023.
If, as of that date,that period is not extended by
further legislation,the presumptions would no longer have effect,
regardless of the state of litigation of any particular case,
absent a final order. If that were to happen, the governor’s
order would remain, and constitutional challenge again would be
an issue.
What kind of testing for COVID-19 is required for the presumption to apply?
Under the governor’s order and under SB 1159, for dates of injury before July 6, 2020, there must be a positive test.
If there
was a diagnosis followed by testing, it’s specifically stated that a serologic test is allowed. This is otherwise
known as antibody
testing, and it shows whether a person has had COVID at some point. Under the presumptions
for dates of injury on or after
July 6, 2020 (front-line workers or outbreak presumptions), serologic testing is not
sufficient. Rather, a PCR (polymerasechain reaction test) or a same or higher sensitivity test is required.
What sort of peace officers are included in the front-line worker presumption?
The statute specifically refers to the peace officers that are covered as being under Penal Code § 830.1, § 830.2(a)
(b)(e)(f)(h), § 830.3(a), § 830.37(a)(b), § 830.5(a)(b) and § 830.53(a), whoare primarily engaged in law enforcement activities.
Such personnel include:
- Sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, police officers, investigators employed in the office of a district attorney,
special agents and investigators of the Department of Justice and the attorney general and persons
designated as peace officers by the attorney general (§ 830.1); - Members of the California Highway Patrol, the University of California Police Department,employees
of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly the Department of Fish and Game),employees of
the Department of Parks and Recreation and persons employed by the Department of Alcoholic
Beverage Control (§ 830.2(a)(b)(e)(f)(h)); - Persons employed by the Division of Investigation of the Department of Consumer Affairs and
investigators of the Dental Board of California (§ 830.3(a); - Members of an arson-investigating unit of a fire department or fire protection agency
(§ 830.37); - Parole officers or correctional officers of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and t
he Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Parole Operations)
(§ 830.5); - Youth correctional officers employed by the Department of Youth and Community Restoration
(§ 830.53(a)).
Not included under the front-line workers presumption under LC 3212.87 are:
- Members of the California State University Police Departments;
- Marshals and police appointed by the board of directors of the California Exposition and State Fair;
- Persons employed by the Bureau of Cannabis Control;
- Employees of the Department of Motor Vehicles;
- Investigators of the California Horse Racing Board
- Investigators of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement designated by the Labor commissioner;
- voluntary fire wardens designated by the director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(Cal Fire); - Firefighter/security guards designated by the Military Department.
We recommend that you review the specific statutes referenced in LC 3212.87 to determine whether any
specific peace officer
is covered.
Would a private in-house fire brigade or internal private fire department within a business be covered
by Labor Code 3212.87?
Privately employed firefighters are not covered by LC 3212.87 –– § 3212.87(a)(1)-(6) specifies the firefighters
entitled to the
presumption under that section. It covers public firefighters including those employed by a city,
county, the University of
California, California State University, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(Cal Fire), the U.S. Department of Defense,
NASA, a fire department at a commercial airport and the California
Office of Emergency Services.
Are dispatchers included in the presumption under Labor Code 3212.87?
The presumption under LC 3212.87 applies to “[a]ctive firefighting members of a fire department” or
“[p]eace officers … who are
primarily engaged in law enforcement activities.” Normally, dispatchers would not
be included unless theyalso performed active
firefighting duties or were engaged primarily in law enforcement
activities.
There is a presumption for employees who provide direct patient care, but only if they work at a health
facility.What does this mean?
A health-care facility is defined under Health and Safety Code § 1250(a)(b)(c)(m)(n). The petitioner should review
this statute,
which is very long and complicated. Generally, the presumption applies to hospitals, including
psychiatric hospitals and skilled
nursing facilities, where a person would be admitted and generally would stay
24 hours or longer.
Under the outbreak presumption, what constitutes a specific place of employment?
LC 3212.88(m)(3)(A) defines “specific place of employment” as “the building, store, facility, or agricultural field
where an employee
performs work at the employer’s direction.” So, if an employer’s premises consists of
multiple buildings or fields, only the building or
field where the employee performed work should be included.
But LC 3212.88(m)(3)(B) states that if the employee performs work in
multiple places of employment within 14
days of his or her positive test, each of those places must be counted to determine whether
an outbreak exists.
Under the outbreak presumption, what is an “outbreak”?
If the specific place of employment has 100 employees or fewer, an outbreak is defined as at least four employees
who tested positive
for COVID-19. If there are more than 100, an outbreak is 4% of employees testing positive.
These numbers must be tallied within a 14‑day period. Also, an outbreak occurs if the specific place of employment
is ordered to close by a local public health department, the California Department of Public Health, the Division
of Occupational Safety and Health or a school superintendent due to a risk of infection with
OVID-19.
What companies are subject to the workplace outbreak presumption?
The presumption applies to companies with five or more employees. The outbreak presumption does not apply to
smaller companies.
If the employer is a school district, are students counted in determining whether there is an outbreak?
LC 3212.88(m)(4) deems that an outbreak has occurred if: (a) four “employees” test positive for COVID-19 if
the employer has 100
or fewer employees; (b) 4% of “employees” test positive if the employer has more than
100 employees; or (c) the specific place of
employment is closed. Only positive “employees” are counted for
the purposes of determining whether there is an outbreak. Students
at a school would not be counted. Of
course, if the school is closed due to an outbreak, its employees would be entitled to the presumption.
When must an employer report a positive COVID-19 test to the administrator?
LC 3212.88(i) requires an employer to report to the claims administrator when it knows, or reasonably
should know, that an employee has
tested positive for COVID-19. Knowledge of a diagnosis of COVID-19
does not trigger the duty to report, only knowledge of a positive test.
Furthermore, the employer must
have knowledge of a PCR test, rather than an antibody test, before it must report. The statute does not
say under what circumstances the claims administrator “should know” of a positive test. Also, it offers
no guidance about the employer’s
duty to investigate. Nevertheless, the employer has a general duty to
investigate the possible industrial source of the virus if it learns that
an employee has COVID-19,
per OSHA requirements.
May an employer avoid the reporting requirements of LC 3212.88(i) by accepting every workers’
compensation claim or providing benefits to every employee who tests positive?
LC 3212.88(i) establishes the reporting requirements. There is nothing in the statute allowing an employer
to avoid the reporting requirements
by accepting all COVID-19 claims.
Are police stations, fire departments or other employers with employees covered by LC 3212.87
required to report
under LC 3212.88(i)?
Although LC 3212.87 covers front-line workers (firefighters, peace officers and hospital workers), it wouldn’t
necessarily cover all employees
who work at fire departments, police stations or health facilities. Employees
not covered by § 3212.87 could receive a presumption only if there’s
an “outbreak” as defined by § 3212.88.
The reporting requirements are intended to allow claims administrators to determine whether there’s an
outbreak.Note, however, that LC 3212.87(a)(10) states that health facility employees who do not provide
direct patientcare or are not custodial
employees are not entitled to a presumption if the employer can
establish that theworker did not have contact with a health facility patient within
the last 14 days who
tested positive forCOVID-19. If the employer can make this showing, the presumption does not apply for
these employees. Instead,their claims must be evaluated pursuant to LC 3202.5 and LC 3600.
What are the reporting requirements for general and/or special employers?
LC 3212.88(i) requires an employer to report information when it knows or reasonably should know that an
employee has tested positive for
COVID-19. The statute, however, doesn’t explain whether general or special
employers, or both, are required to report. This issue isn’t addressed
in the legislative history, and the
Labor commissioner, who is charged with enforcing the reporting rules, hasn’t provided clarification.
Nevertheless, the general rule is that general and special employers are jointly and severally liable for
injuries sustained by employees. If both the
general and special employer have access to the required
information, both should report until the issue is further clarified.
Must an employer respect the privacy of an employee who tests positive?
The statute states specifically that if the employer becomes aware of a positive COVID-19 test, it must
report it to the administrator, but must not
disclose the name or other identifying information of the
person who has tested positive. That changes, however, if the employee asserts that the
claim is work
related, or filed a claim form. If the employee asserts that the COVID-19 exposure was industrial, his
or her identifying information
may be disclosed. There are no special protections in this statute for
an applicant’s privacy after a claim form is filed, and it may be handled like
any other claim.
Need More Info? Check Out These On-Demand Webinars
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will helpkeep you current with the latest legislation and its impact. View series here
Source for this blog: Sullivan On Comp