Workers’ compensation: hospital employees.

Senator Arreguín's workers' compensation legislation establishes new presumptions of work-related injury for hospital employees providing direct patient care in acute care settings. The bill expands coverage to include infectious diseases, certain cancers, musculoskeletal injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and respiratory conditions that develop during employment.

The measure creates rebuttable presumptions that these conditions arise from workplace exposure, with varying post-employment coverage periods. For infectious diseases except MRSA, the presumption extends three months per year worked, up to 60 months after leaving employment. Cancer presumptions extend up to 120 months post-employment, while post-traumatic stress disorder coverage continues up to 36 months. The bill defines specific qualifying conditions within each category, including COVID-19 under both infectious and respiratory diseases.

For hospital employees to qualify, conditions must manifest during their employment period and cannot be attributed to pre-existing conditions. The bill provides full workers' compensation benefits including medical treatment, disability payments, and death benefits for covered conditions. While employers may present evidence to challenge individual claims, the presumption remains unless specifically rebutted through documentation that the condition arose from non-workplace causes.