Workers' compensation: permanent disability benefits.

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 his or her employment. Existing law, for injuries that cause permanent partial disability and occur on or after January 1, 2004, provides supplemental job displacement benefits in the form of a nontransferable voucher for education-related retraining or skill enhancement for an injured employee who does not return to work for the employer within 60 days of the termination of temporary disability, in accordance with a prescribed schedule based on the percentage of an injured employee's disability. Existing law provides an exception for employers who meet specified criteria. This bill would provide that the above provisions shall apply to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2004, and before January 1, 2012. This bill would provide, for injuries that cause permanent partial disability and occur on or after January 1, 2012, for a supplemental job displacement benefit in the form of a voucher for up to $6,000 to cover various reeducation and skill enhancement expenses, as specified, which would expire 2 years after the date the voucher is furnished to the employee or 5 years after the date of injury, whichever is later. The bill would exempt employers who make an offer of reemployment or continued employment, as specified, from providing vouchers. The bill would require the administrative director to adopt regulations implementing the program.