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Consideration to support Senate Bill x43 (Poochigian) and Assembly Bill x41 (Maldonado) proposing broad reforms to the Workers' Compensation System. (SR 04:044) Ms. McKeehan noted that staff did not have another presentation to make on this item. She pointed out that staff attached to the staff report opposition to the proposed bills. The Board of Directors of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce voted this morning in favor of supporting the legislation. Mayor Pico said he was not present for the workshop. He believed Council needed to find a way to reform the workers compensation system with less paperwork. He was very supportive of having Workers' Compensation reform to make it a more balanced system, and one that allowed businesses to be more competitive, but also a system that treats the employees and the people that are injured on a fair and reasonable basis. He had concerns related to some of the specific language in the bills. He believed the intent was right, but he wanted to be allowed the opportunity to see his own physician if he were injured. He perceived that there might be some limitations on that opportunity. He was not sure why Council needed to take action on this matter this evening. It did not appear that there was significant, bipartisan efforts in this area. He believed that in order to obtain successful workers' compensation reform, a real bipartisan effort needed to occur and all of the major stakeholders needed to be involved. He was not sure that all of the major stakeholders had been involved in this process, and asked if it was essential that Council take a position this evening. Or should Council be encouraging a broader bipartisan process to achieve reforms that will be acceptable? He said that Senator Torlakson held a workshop on the matter several months ago, and invited all of the stakeholders, from individuals representing insurance companies to doctors and lawyers for the injured worker, employees who had been injured, and employers. He believed this was a better process. He would support some type of action but was concerned about some of the issues in the proposed bills, and he was not sure that Council's action this evening was warranted. He would rather have Council continue to voice its concerns about the system and changes it would like to see in the system, and encourage more ora bipartisan effort to come up with a solution; one that is a win-win situation. Ms. Ayala disagreed with Mayor Pico's comments. She said that the workers' compensation system reform had been studied for years and the State of California's Chamber Report notes consistently that the same recommendations are made. She did not believe that the legislators in Sacramento have the courage to step up and actually take action. She believed SB x43 and AB x41 were no different than any other bills in the Legislature. She pointed out that the Chambers of Commerce and business people in California have been saying for years that the workers' compensation system will drive them out of the state. She noted that the cost for workers' compensation has been documented. She believed it was a bipartisan effort in that the legislators are saying that. the system is broken. Pleasanton City Council 28 02/17/04 Minutes