A bill that would have revamped workers’ compensation laws in California to the detriment of professional athletes has died.
The NFL Players Association has informed registered contract advisors that the effort to turn the proposed legislation into law has ended.
“California SB 795, a bill that would have significantly restricted professional athletes’ access to workers’ compensation benefits, has been pulled from consideration and will not move forward for a vote,” the NFLPA said in an email to agents, a copy of which PFT has obtained. “This is a meaningful win for your clients and helps keep critical protections in place for injuries sustained during their careers. Protecting the health, safety and legal rights of active and former players remains a top priority, and we will continue to fight against efforts that threaten those protections.”
Earlier this month, the NFLPA made it clear that it “strongly opposes” the effort.
“As employees in a high-risk profession, NFL players rely on workers’ compensation as a critical protection,” the union said at the time. “In fact, the cost of these benefits is already paid by our players out of their collectively bargained share of league revenue. By advancing this latest anti-player legislation, California’s professional sports teams are seeking to evade that system for financial gain, denying injured athletes the care they are owed.”
The three NFL teams headquartered in California — the 49ers, Chargers, and Rams — supported the bill.
It doesn’t end the effort for good. An effort has been made in the past to revise the workers’ compensation laws regarding professional athletes. It likely will happen again.
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