CA SB1159

Defines "injury" to include illness or death from COVID-19 for employees who tested positive or were diagnosed within 14 days of working at their employer's direction, with different applicability periods: March 19-July 5, 2020 for all employees under Section 3212.86, and July 6, 2020 onward for critical workers under Section 3212.87.

Creates a disputable presumption that COVID-19 injuries arose out of and in the course of employment for specified employees including firefighters, peace officers, healthcare workers, paramedics, and in-home supportive services providers.

Requires employees to exhaust paid sick leave benefits available for COVID-19 before receiving temporary disability benefits, with certification requirements every 15 days for the first 45 days following diagnosis.

Establishes presumption of compensability if liability is not rejected within 30 days (Section 3212.86) or 45 days (Section 3212.88) after claim form filing, rather than the standard 90 days.

Applies COVID-19 presumption to all employees at workplaces with 5+ employees where an outbreak occurs (4+ positive tests within 14 days), and requires employers to report positive cases to claims administrators within three business days; all provisions expire January 1, 2023.