Sacramento, CA – California State Assemblymember Dr. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) has introduced several pieces of legislation for 2008 that cover a variety of issues, including retirement benefits, workers compensation, water, and health care.

“This is a comprehensive bill package designed to address issues affecting the vast majority of Californians” said Hernandez, “I look forward to building support for these ideas and working with my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate to see them put into action.”

Hernandez, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Public Employees, Retirement, and Social Security (PERSS), has introduced Assembly Bill 1844 to help increase transparency with regard to public employee benefits through enhanced reporting requirements, as well as curb fraud in the various retirement systems by providing those systems with the tools they need to detect and prosecute fraudulent actions.  This bill is one of two that Hernandez has co-authored with Senator Patricia Wiggins to implement all recommendations requiring legislative action from the Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission formed by the Governor in December of 2006. 

“It is imperative we move forward quickly this year to implement the recommendations made by the commission so we help stabilize the costs of pensions and retiree health care for employers, while making sure we keep the promises we have made to our teachers, police officers, firefighters and other hard working public employees” remarked Hernandez.

Also on Hernandez’ agenda is controlling the costs to employers and employees for workers’ compensation insurance.  His bill, AB 2692 would direct the State Insurance Commissioner to determine specific loss-ratios for workers’ compensation insurance rates to ensure that employees and employers are adequately protected.  Any insurer whose rates are found to be excessive based on these loss-ratios would have to reimburse the difference.

 “As a small business owner myself, I want to know how the workers' compensation premiums I pay are spent and that injured workers are being taken care of,” continued Hernandez “AB 2692 ensures that an appropriate percentage of workers' compensation premiums actually get spent on care for injured workers.” 

Water policy continues to be an integral part of Assemblymember Hernandez’ agenda as well.  Assembly Bill 1903 would reestablish liability protection for public water agencies engaged in flood control and water conservation activities until January 1, 2013.  The bill protects agencies like Los Angeles County Department of Public Works against frivolous lawsuits that could put at risk ongoing water conservation and distribution efforts serving over 64 cities within Los Angeles County.

“Los Angeles County imports two-thirds of its water, and the remaining third comes from underground aquifers that are recharged by storm runoff, reclaimed water, and imported water.  If we want people to have a clean, sustainable supply of water then we need to do everything we can to keep in operation the channels, rivers, and spreading basins for distributing and replenishing that water” Hernandez stated. 

Another piece of legislation Hernandez has authored would serve to address the growing shortage of specific healthcare professionals in California.  Assembly Bill 2375 would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in collaboration with the Workforce Investment Board, to form a healthcare workforce task force.  This task force would be charged with identifying those healthcare professions for which California will be most in need, and aligning those identified workforce needs with enhanced educational programs at all levels, including K-12, college/ university, and vocational training.  

“We are already seeing shortages in nursing and primary care physicians.  As California’s population grows and ages, the pressures on our healthcare system will only increase.  Either we act now to make certain California can meet the growing demand for healthcare providers at all levels or we will only continue to see costs skyrocket.”  Hernandez added that “even if we were able to offer access to affordable healthcare to all Californians, we would still be faced with the problem of too many people for too few providers.”

Assemblymember Hernandez represents the 57th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, La Puente, West Covina, Irwindale, Industry, and other unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.