California 20252026 Regular Session Status: Introduced 1 R cosponsors

AB 1048 — Workers' compensation.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 20, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Stalled 28% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 6 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill modifies requirements for workers' compensation explanations and authorization requests.

This bill updates the information required in explanations of benefits and mandates that physicians sign requests for authorization of medical services. It also outlines how these requests can be submitted.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means you may have clearer information regarding your medical treatment options and billing.
  • Consumers: You might see more detailed information on your benefits and treatment authorization requests related to workers' compensation.
  • Healthcare: Providers will need to ensure requests for treatment are properly signed and submitted as per the new guidelines.

Summary

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and hospital treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury. Existing law requires every contracting agent, that sells, leases, assigns, transfers, or conveys its list of contract health care providers and their contracted reimbursement rates to a payor, to comply with certain requirements. Existing law also requires a payor to, among other things, provide an explanation of benefits or explanation of review that identifies the name of the network that the payor has an agreement with that entitles them to pay a preferred rate for the services rendered. This bill would require the explanation of review or explanation of benefits to include the state assigned medical provider network identification number and an email address that the rendering medical provider may use to request a copy of the underlying contract that entitles them to take the preferred rate. The bill would state that disclosure of a medical provider network does not satisfy this requirement. The bill would require the payor, upon request, to provide the rendering provider or their agent with a copy of the underlying contract once per 365-day period. Existing law requires each employer to establish a utilization review process to review and approve, modify, or deny treatment recommendations and establishes an independent medical review process to resolve disputes over a utilization review decision. Existing law requires various requirements to be met in determining whether to approve, modify, or deny requests by a physician for medical services. This bill would require a request for authorization of medical services by a physician to be signed by that physician, and would authorize a request to be sent via mail, fax, or electronic methods, as specified. The bill would make other conforming changes.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

  2. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 10).

  5. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  6. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  7. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  8. Withdrawn from committee.

  9. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 2570.)

  10. Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).

  11. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).

  12. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  13. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  14. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  15. From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  16. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  17. Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

  18. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  19. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 2057.)

  20. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  21. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  22. Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)

  23. In committee: Set, second hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  24. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  25. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  26. Re-referred to Com. on INS.

  27. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on INS. Read second time and amended.

  28. Re-referred to Com. on INS.

  29. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on INS. Read second time and amended.

  30. Referred to Com. on INS.

  31. From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  32. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

AB 1048 Chen Assembly Third Reading

Passed 76 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 17002
Democratic 58001
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 76003
% of votes cast 96%0%0%4%
How each member voted (79)
Member Party Vote
Ávila Farías — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Ahrens, Patrick Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Caloza, Jessica Democratic Yea
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Elhawary, Sade Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Garcia, Robert Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Harabedian, John Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Krell, Maggy Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Not Voting
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Patel, Darshana R. Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Ransom, Rhodesia Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rodriguez, Celeste Democratic Yea
Rodriguez, Michelle Democratic Yea
Rogers, Chris Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Schultz, Nick Democratic Yea
Sharp-Collins, LaShae Democratic Yea
Solache, Jr., José Luis Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Stefani, Catherine Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Castillo, Leticia Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Davies, Laurie Republican Yea
DeMaio, Carl Republican Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Ellis, Stan Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Gonzalez, Jeff Republican Yea
Hadwick, Heather Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea
Macedo, Alexandra Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea
Ta, Tri Republican Not Voting
Tangipa, David J. Republican Yea
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 11000
Republican 1003
Total 12003
% of votes cast 80%0%0%20%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Caloza, Jessica Democratic Yea
Elhawary, Sade Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
González, Mark Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Solache, Jr., José Luis Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Dixon, Diane Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Not Voting
Tangipa, David J. Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 17 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 4000
Democratic 12000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 17000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Ávila Farías — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Harabedian, John Democratic Yea
Krell, Maggy Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Rodriguez, Michelle Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Ellis, Stan Republican Yea
Hadwick, Heather Republican Yea
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

labor health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 1048 do?
Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and hospital treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury. Existing law requires every contracting agent, that sells, leases, assigns, transfers, or conveys its list of contract health care providers and their contracted reimbursement rates to a payor, to comply with certain requirements. Existing law also requires a payor to, among other things, provide an explanation of benefits or explanation of review that identifies the name of the network that the payor has an agreement with that entitles them to pay a preferred rate for the services rendered. This bill would require the explanation of review or explanation of benefits to include the state assigned medical provider network identification number and an email address that the rendering medical provider may use to request a copy of the underlying contract that entitles them to take the preferred rate. The bill would state that disclosure of a medical provider network does not satisfy this requirement. The bill would require the payor, upon request, to provide the rendering provider or their agent with a copy of the underlying contract once per 365-day period. Existing law requires each employer to establish a utilization review process to review and approve, modify, or deny treatment recommendations and establishes an independent medical review process to resolve disputes over a utilization review decision. Existing law requires various requirements to be met in determining whether to approve, modify, or deny requests by a physician for medical services. This bill would require a request for authorization of medical services by a physician to be signed by that physician, and would authorize a request to be sent via mail, fax, or electronic methods, as specified. The bill would make other conforming changes.
Who sponsors AB 1048?
AB 1048 is sponsored by Chen, Phillip (Republican).
What is the current status of AB 1048?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 20, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 1048?
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