Workers’ compensation: peace officers.

Assembly Member Nguyen's workers' compensation legislation extends heart trouble presumption benefits to peace officers employed by the State Department of State Hospitals, placing them on equal footing with Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employees who currently receive these protections. The bill amends the Labor Code to classify heart conditions that develop during service as compensable injuries for these officers.

Under the amended provisions, affected peace officers would receive full hospital, surgical, and medical treatment coverage, along with disability indemnity and death benefits through the workers' compensation system. The presumption that heart trouble arose from employment remains disputable, allowing for evidence-based challenges while requiring the appeals board to uphold the presumption unless successfully contested. Former officers retain this presumption for three months per year of service after leaving their position, not exceeding 60 months total.

The measure maintains existing administrative frameworks while expanding eligibility to a new category of peace officers. While no additional appropriations are required, the Division of Workers' Compensation and Appeals Board would process claims under the updated criteria, potentially increasing the total number of compensable cases within the system.