California AB 2098: Workers' compensation: medical treatment.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 03/26/26 - Amended Assembly
 03/09/26 - Amended Assembly
 02/18/26 - Introduced

 AB-2098 Workers’ compensation: medical treatment.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 03/26/2026 09:00 PM

AB2098:v97#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 March 26, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 March 09, 2026

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 2098

Introduced by Assembly Member Kalra

February 18, 2026

An act to amend Section 4600 of 132a of, and to add Section 4600.03 to, the Labor Code, relating to workers’ compensation.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2098, as amended, Kalra.
 Workers’ compensation: medical treatment.

Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee, as defined, for injuries that arise out of, and in the course of, employment. Existing law requires employers to provide medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, licensed clinical social worker, and hospital treatment reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury.

Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to discharge, threaten to discharge, or discriminate against, or for an insurer to advise, direct, or threaten an insured to discharge, an employee because they have filed or made known their intention to file a claim for compensation, or an application for adjudication, or because the employee has received a rating,
 award, or settlement, as specified.

This bill would require an employee, when possible, to make a reasonable effort to schedule treatment outside of work hours. The bill would require the employee employee, if the timing of the treatment is foreseeable, to provide notice if treatment occurs during work hours, as specified, and require the employer to provide this leave during work hours unless business necessity requires the treatment to occur at a different time or on a different day. The bill would require that the leave taken by an employee pursuant to these provisions run concurrently with leave taken pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the California Family Rights Act if the employee would have been eligible for that leave. If an employer
 denies an employee’s request to attend scheduled treatment during regular work hours, treatment, and the employer knows or should know that a business necessity does not require the treatment to occur at a different time or on a different day, the bill would make that denial a violation of the misdemeanor described above. misdemeanor. The bill would also make it a misdemeanor for an employer to discharge, threaten to discharge, or discriminate against an employee because the employee requested or took leave pursuant to these provisions.

By expanding the scope of a crime,
 creating new crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The bill would make other conforming changes.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 YES 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.Section 4600 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

4600.(a)(1)Medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, licensed clinical social worker, and hospital treatment, including nursing, medicines, medical and surgical supplies, crutches, and apparatuses, including orthotic and prosthetic devices and services, that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the worker’s injury shall be provided by the employer. In the case of the employer’s neglect or refusal reasonably to do so, the employer is liable for the reasonable expense incurred by or on behalf of the employee in providing treatment.

(2)(A)When possible, an employee shall make a reasonable effort to schedule treatment outside of regular work hours. A reasonable effort shall not require a worker to consequentially d