California Labor Code. California
contract with the independent review organization, nor does “material financial affiliation” include an expert’s participation as a contracting medical provider where the expert is affiliated with an academic medical center or a National Cancer Institute-designated clinical cancer research center.
(c) “Material professional affiliation” means any physician-patient relationship, any partnership or employment relationship, a shareholder or similar ownership interest in a professional corporation, or any independent contractor arrangement that constitutes a material financial affiliation with any expert or any officer or director of the independent review organization. “Material professional affiliation” does not include affiliations that are limited to staff privileges at a health facility.
(e) The division shall provide, upon the request of any interested person, a copy of all nonproprietary information, as determined by the administrative director, filed with it by an independent review organization under contract pursuant to this section. The division may charge a fee to the interested person for copying the requested information.
(f) The Legislature finds and declares that the services described in this section are of such a special and unique nature that they must be contracted out pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 19130 of the Government Code. The Legislature further finds and declares that the services described in this section are a new state function pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 19130 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 71, Sec. 107. Effective January 1, 2015.)
139.6. (a) The administrative director shall establish and effect within the Division of Workers’ Compensation a continuing program to provide information and assistance concerning the rights, benefits, and obligations of the workers’ compensation law to employees and employers subject thereto. The program shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) The preparation, publishing, and as necessary, updating, of guides to the California workers’ compensation system for employees and employers. The guides shall detail, in easily understandable language, the rights and obligations of employees and employers, the procedures for obtaining benefits, and the means provided for resolving disputes. Separate guides may be prepared for employees and employers. The appropriate guide shall be provided to all labor and employer organizations known to the administrative director, and to any other person upon request.
(2) The preparation, publishing, and as necessary, updating, of a pamphlet advising injured workers of their basic rights under workers’ compensation law, and informing them of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the provisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Act relating to individuals with a disability. The pamphlet shall be written in easily understandable language. The pamphlet shall be available in both English and Spanish, and shall include basic information concerning the circumstances under which injured employees are entitled to the various types of workers’ compensation benefits, the protections against discrimination because of an injury, the procedures for resolving any disputes which arise, and the right to seek information and advice from an information and assistance officer or an attorney.
(b) In each district office of the division, the administrative director shall appoint an information and assistance officer, and any other deputy information and assistance officers as the work of the district office may require. The administrative director shall provide office facilities and clerical support appropriate to the functions of these information and assistance officers.
(c) Each information and assistance officer shall be responsible for the performance of the following duties:
(1) Providing continuing information concerning rights, benefits, and obligations under workers’ compensation laws to injured workers, employers, lien claimants, and other interested parties.
(2) Upon request by the injured worker, assisting in the prompt resolution of misunderstanding, disputes, and controversies arising out of claims for compensation, without formal proceedings, in order that full and timely compensation benefits shall be furnished. In performing this duty, information and assistance officers shall not be responsible for reviewing applications for adjudication or declarations of readiness to proceed. This function shall be performed by workers’ compensation judges. This function may also be performed by settlement conference referees upon delegation by the appeals board.
(3) Distributing any information pamphlets in English and Spanish as are prepared and approved by the administrative director to all inquiring injured workers and any other parties that may request copies of these pamphlets.
(4) Establishing and maintaining liaison with the persons located in the geographic area served by the district office, with other affected state agencies, and with organizations representing employees, employers, insurers, and the medical community.
(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 121, Sec. 23. Effective July 16, 1993.)
CHAPTER 6. Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board [140–147.5]
(Heading of Chapter 6 amended by Stats. 1973, Ch. 993.)
140. (a) There is in the Department of Industrial Relations, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board which consists of seven members who shall be appointed by the Governor. Two members shall be from the field of management, two members shall be from the field of labor, one member shall be from the field of occupational health, one member shall be from the field of occupational safety and one member shall be from the general public. Members representing occupational safety and health fields and the public member shall be selected from other than the fields of management or labor.
(b) Terms of office for members of the Industrial Safety Board shall expire 60 days after the effective date of the amendment of this section enacted at the 1973–74 Regular Session. Newly appointed members of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board shall assume their duties upon that date.
(c) The Governor shall designate the chairman of the board from the membership of the board. The person so designated shall hold the office of chairman at the pleasure of the Governor. The chairman shall designate a member of the board to act as chairman in his absence.
(d) As used in this chapter, “board” means the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.
(e) All references in this or any other code to the Industrial Safety Board shall be deemed to mean the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.
(Amended by Stats. 1973, Ch. 993.)
141. (a) The terms of office of the members of the board shall be four years and they shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of a successor. The terms of the members of the board first appointed shall expire as follows: three members, one representative from management, one representative from labor, and one representative from occupational health, on June 1, 1974; three members, one representative from management, one representative from labor, and one representative from occupational safety, on June 1, 1975; one member June 1, 1976. The terms shall thereafter expire in the same relative order. Vacancies occurring shall be filled by appointment to the unexpired term.
(b) Each member of the board shall receive one hundred dollars ($100) for each day of his or her actual attendance at meetings of the board, and other official business of the board, and his or her actual and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duty as a member.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 254. Effective January 1, 2005.)
142. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health shall enforce all occupational safety and health standards adopted pursuant to this chapter, and those heretofore adopted by the Industrial Accident Commission or the Industrial Safety Board. General safety orders heretofore adopted by the Industrial Accident Commission or the Industrial Safety Board shall continue to remain in effect, but they may be amended or repealed pursuant to this chapter.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1124, Sec. 40. Effective September 30, 2002.)
142.1. The board shall meet at least monthly. The meetings shall be rotated throughout