Senate Passes Farmworker Heat Illness Presumption Bill

The California Senate passed a bill that would create a presumption that heat-related injuries and illnesses arose out of employment for outdoor agricultural workers if the employer failed to comply with heat illness prevention standards. The Senate on Wednesday voted 29-9 to pass SB 1299, by Sen. Dave Cortese, D-Campbell. The bill declares the intentions of the California Legislature to prevent increasing farmworker heat-related injuries as climate change raises temperatures and by persuading employers to do whatever is necessary to prevent heat injuries. The United Farm Workers, which is ...