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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AB 1048

Workers' compensation.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· 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.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Jun 29, 2026
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Jun 10, 2026
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jul 9, 2025
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jun 4, 2025
House		AB 1048 Chen Assembly Third ReadingpassSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
House		Do pass.passSet your home in California to see
Apr 23, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see

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