SB 631: Workers’ compensation: gender equity comparative analysis.

Existing law establishes a workers compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers Compensation, to compensate an employee, as defined, for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law establishes various benefits to be paid or provided to injured employees, including temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, and permanent disability, which are based on an employees average earnings, as specified.

This bill would would, upon an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, require the administrative director, in collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley Berkeley, to prepare a comparative analysis to examine differences in workers compensation benefits provided to employees of different genders, including differences between industries, rate of claim denial, and any difference in compensation paid, as specified. The bill would require the administrative director to prepare and provide a report on the comparative analysis to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2025. 6 months after its completion.