AB 1048: Workers’ compensation.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

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.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Republican 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 13, 2026In committee: Held under submission.
2. June 29, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
3. June 15, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. June 11, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 10).
5. May 27, 2026Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
6. January 22, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.
7. September 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
8. September 8, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
9. September 8, 2025(Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 2570.)
10. September 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).
11. September 8, 2025Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(b).
12. September 8, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.