On September 17, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1159. This legislation creates a rebuttable presumption for workers’ compensation that certain employees who contract COVID-19 did so at work. The new law is effective immediately and remains in effect through January 1, 2023. The California Labor & Workforce Development Agency has also issued FAQs on SB 1159.

Governor Newsom also signed SB 1383 on the same date, which ensures job-protected leave for employees who work for an employer with five or more employees to bond with a newborn, care for a seriously ill family member, address a military exigency, or care for their own illness. The new law is effective January 1, 2021.  

Finally, Governor Newsom signed AB 685 on the same date. This legislation allows the state to track COVID-19 cases in the workplace more closely by requiring exhaustive employer notice requirements. In addition, the legislation broadens Cal/OSHA’s authority to issue Stop Work Orders for workplaces that pose a risk of “imminent hazard” for COVID-19 exposure. The new law is effective on January 1, 2021.