Governor Signs Debit Card Bill, Vetoes Ag Worker Presumption

California Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted legislation allowing carriers to continue using prepaid debit cards for payment of temporary and permanent disability benefits. At the same time, the governor vetoed a bill that would have created a presumption that heat-related injuries are compensable for agricultural workers whose employers violated certain workplace safety standards. Newsom on Saturday signed AB 1239, by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, D-Whittier, extending until Jan. 1, 2027, the pilot project allowing carriers to use debit cards to pay benefits. The project was slated to sunset at the...