On Tuesday, the California Senate voted 24-15 to approve a bill (AB 305) that would prohibit medical problems primarily affecting women from being considered pre-existing conditions when calculating workers’ compensation benefits, the AP/Washington Times reports.
The bill now returns to the Assembly for a final vote.
Details of AB 305
According to state Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego), the bill is part of an effort to end gender bias in the workplace (AP/Washington Times, 9/8).
Specifically, the bill would update the state’s workers’ compensation law to prevent conditions — such as breast cancer, pregnancy or menopause — from being labeled as pre-existing in order to reduce compensation (California Healthline, 5/12).
The bill also would require breast cancer to be treated similarly to prostate cancer (AP/Washington Times, 9/8).