Newsom Orders SIBTF Reform Plan in Veto Message

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in vetoing a bill that would have revised eligibility criteria for the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund, ordered the Division of Workers' Compensation to prepare a reform plan for the beleaguered second injury program. Newsom said the assessments that employers pay for the program are projected to hit $1.5 billion within five years, while injured workers submitting SIBTF claims today could wait up to 10 years to receive benefits because of processing delays. "This situation is dire, and the state must act immediately," the governor ...