SAN DIEGO–Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), joined Governor Jerry Brown today in San Diego, where the Governor signed into law SB 863, the bipartisan Workers' Compensation Reform bill approved by the Legislature, that will create a more efficient workers' compensation system and greatly benefit California companies and workers injured on the job.

“This reform will save major employers significant money that can be used to hire new workers and expand operations to help our overall recovery, it will increase benefits for permanently injured workers and help ensure other injured workers get the treatment they need to get back on the job,” said Speaker Pérez. “This is a major victory for the people of California, and I am proud to have worked with the Governor, my colleagues in both parties, Assemblymembers Jose Solorio and Henry Perea, the past and current Chairs of the Assembly Committee on Insurance, and the stakeholders who came together in a spirit of good faith and cooperation to make this reform proposal a reality.”

SB 863 addresses some of the major unintended consequences of the previous reform law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The new reforms includes providing $750 million in increased benefits for permanently disabled Californians, and changing the process of ascertaining total disability, ensuring the final decisions are made by doctors instead of judges.

Speaker Pérez and the Governor were also slated to attend a follow-up signing ceremony for SB 863 in Los Angeles later Tuesday.

CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408