Committee Passes Bills to Increase PPD, Create Hospital Worker Presumption

A California Senate committee on Wednesday passed bills that would require annual cost-of-living adjustments in permanent partial disability benefits and create a presumption that certain types of injuries and diseases are compensable for hospital workers. The Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement passed Senate Bill 555, by Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Fresno, which would increase PPD benefits each year by an amount equal to the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits. Average weekly wages used to calculate PPD benefits range from $240 to $435 and have n...