Workers' compensation: hospital employers: presumption.

Existing law provides that an injury of an employee arising out of and in the course of employment is generally compensable through the workers' compensation system. Existing law provides that, in the case of certain public employees, the term "injury" includes heart trouble, hernia, pneumonia, meningitis, lower back impairment, and other injuries and diseases. This bill would provide, with respect to hospital employees who provide direct patient care in an acute care hospital, that the term "injury" includes methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection (MRSA skin infection) that develops or manifests itself during the period of the person's employment with the hospital. This bill would create a presumption that MRSA skin infection arises out of and in the course of the person's employment if MRSA skin infection develops or manifests as specified. This bill would prohibit attributing MRSA skin infection that develops or manifests in those cases to any disease or skin infection existing prior to that development or manifestation.