Labor Committee Passes Apportionment, Fraud Bills

The Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations on Wednesday passed bills that supporters say will end gender-based discrimination in apportionment decisions and reduce medical fraud in California’s workers’ compensation system. The committee voted 4-1 to pass AB 1643, by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, which would prohibit apportioning part of a permanent disability to conditions including pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis and carpal tunnel syndrome. The bill would also require that the impairment rating for breast cancer be the same as it is for prostate ...