2020 Legislative Summary Employment Law, Part IV

January 14, 2020 by Christopher Hammer, Lorrie Bradley, Stephanie Platenkamp, Tony Rice, Sarah Kanbar, Travis West and Kena Cador

This post is the fourth part of our six-part series summarizing significant legislative changes in labor and employment law for 2020. Today we are addressing developments in health and safety law. Our coming posts will address anti-discrimination/harassment law, and public sector developments.

HEALTH & SAFETY

AB 203 – Health and Safety Training: Valley Fever

Employers in the construction industry are now required to provide health and safety training on Valley Fever by May 1, 2020, and then must provide training annually and before an employee is anticipated to engage in substantial dust disturbance, such as digging or operating a vehicle on a dirt road. This bill applies to those employers who have employees working where Valley Fever is highly endemic, such as Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura counties.

Read the text of the bill here:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB203

SB 542 – Workers’ Compensation: Post-traumatic stress disorder

This bill adds diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder to the injuries for which certain state and local firefighting and peace offer personnel can receive workers compensation. The bill applies to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2020 until January 1, 2025. In order to be eligible specified personnel must perform services for the department or unit for at least six months (non-continuous). Awarded compensation will include full hospital, surgical, medical treatment, disability indemnity and death benefits.

Read the text of the bill here:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB542

AB 61 – Workplace Safety: Gun Violence Restraining Order

This bill, commencing September 1, 2020, authorizes an employer, a coworker who has substantial and regular interactions with the person and approval of their employer, or an employee or teacher of a secondary or postsecondary school, with approval of a school administrator or a school administration staff member with a supervisorial role, that the person has attended in the last 6 months, to file a petition for a gun violence restraining order.

Read the text of the bill here:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB61

The material on this website is provided by Beeson, Tayer & Bodine for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before acting on any of the information presented. Some of the articles are updated periodically, and are marked with the date of the last update. Again, readers should consult with their own legal counsel for the most current information and to obtain professional advice before acting on any of the information presented.