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Measure AB 1293
Authors Wallis  
Subject Workers’ compensation: qualified medical evaluators.
Relating To relating to workers’ compensation.
Title An act to add Section 4062.4 to the Labor Code, relating to workers’ compensation.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-03
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program No
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-03     Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 298, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-03     Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-24     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-12     In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-12     Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3419.).
2025-09-11     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2931.).
2025-09-09     Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-09-02     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-29     Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-06-30     In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-06-18     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-11     Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
2025-06-03     In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1932.)
2025-05-27     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-14     In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-23     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-10     Re-referred to Com. on INS.
2025-04-09     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on INS. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-25     Re-referred to Com. on INS.
2025-03-24     Referred to Com. on INS.
2025-03-24     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on INS. Read second time and amended.
2025-02-24     Read first time.
2025-02-22     From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
2025-02-21     Introduced. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-03
Enrolled     2025-09-16
Amended Senate     2025-08-29
Amended Assembly     2025-04-09
Amended Assembly     2025-03-24
Introduced     2025-02-21
Last Version Text 
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Wallis</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 4062.4 to the Labor Code, relating to workers’ compensation. </ns0:Title>
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			<ns0:Subject>Workers’ compensation: qualified medical evaluators.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries arising out of and in the course of their employment. Existing law establishes procedures for the resolution of disputes regarding the compensability of an injury, including the use of a qualified medical evaluator (QME) to perform a comprehensive medical-legal evaluation to address all contested medical issues arising from all injuries reported in a claim. Existing law requires all communications with a panel QME before a medical evaluation to be in writing served on the opposing party 20 days in advance of the evaluation, and any subsequent communication with the QME to be in writing and served on the opposing party when the communication is sent to the QME.</html:p>
			<html:p>This
			 bill would require the administrative director to develop and make available a medical evaluation request form for communicating with a panel qualified medical evaluator in advance of an evaluation obtained pursuant to the above provisions. The bill would require the administrative director to develop and make available a template QME report form, which will include all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements for a QME report. The bill would require the Division of Workers’ Compensation to adopt regulations to implement these provisions by January 1, 2027.</html:p>
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				Section 4062.4 is added to the 
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				, to read:
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								(a)
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								(1)
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								The administrative director shall develop and make available a template qualified medical evaluator (QME) report form, which shall include all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements for a QME report.
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								(2)
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								Use of a template QME report form developed pursuant to paragraph (1) does not constitute prima facie evidence that a report is complete, accurate, or compliant with applicable statutory
						or regulatory requirements.
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								(b)
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								(1)
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								The administrative director shall develop and make available a medical evaluation request form for communicating with a panel qualified medical evaluator pursuant to Section 4062.3 in advance of an evaluation obtained pursuant to Section 4062.1 or 4062.2.
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								(2)
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								This subdivision does not limit a party’s right to submit relevant information to a qualified medical evaluator pursuant to Section 4062.3.
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								The Division of Workers’ Compensation, acting in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), shall adopt regulations to implement this chapter with an effective date of no later than January 1, 2027.
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries arising out of and in the course of their employment. Existing law establishes procedures for the resolution of disputes regarding the compensability of an injury, including the use of a qualified medical evaluator (QME) to perform a comprehensive medical-legal evaluation to address all contested medical issues arising from all injuries reported in a claim. Existing law requires all communications with a panel QME before a medical evaluation to be in writing served on the opposing party 20 days in advance of the evaluation, and any subsequent communication with the QME to be in writing and served on the opposing party when the communication is sent to the QME. This bill would require the administrative director to develop and make available a medical evaluation request form for communicating with a panel qualified medical evaluator in advance of an evaluation obtained pursuant to the above provisions. The bill would require the administrative director to develop and make available a template QME report form, which will include all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements for a QME report. The bill would require the Division of Workers’ Compensation to adopt regulations to implement these provisions by January 1, 2027.