On Thursday, September 17, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1159. The bill replaces Newsom’s Executive Order N-62-20 and extends the presumption of industrial injury to certain employees who fulfill the criteria originally set out in the executive order. However, the bill limits the availability of the presumption of certain occupations, sunsets it for workers who are not specified in the bill, creates a new category of workers who may qualify for the presumption based on an outbreak of disease, and imposes new reporting obligations on employers who face significant civil penalties for willful failure to meet those obligations.

Originally published in the Daily Journal on September, 18 2020.