Former AG Bill Lockyer, Injured Workers Warn Proposed SIBTF Cuts Could Devastate Disabled Californians
Former Attorney General and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer speaks at today's injured worker rally at the State Capitol
Speakers warn proposed SIBTF cuts could strip benefits from disabled workers and jeopardize roughly 30,000 pending claims statewide.
SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, May 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Former California Attorney General and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer joined injured workers, physicians, public safety representatives and advocates Tuesday morning at the California State Capitol to call on Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to reject proposed changes to the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) currently being discussed as part of the state budget process.
Speakers warned the proposed changes could significantly impact permanently disabled injured workers across California, including public safety personnel and frontline workers who rely on the program after suffering catastrophic workplace injuries compounded by prior disabilities or medical conditions.
Advocates also raised concerns about the proposal advancing through the budget trailer bill process rather than through the traditional legislative process with full public hearings and policy committee review.
“California made a promise to injured workers, and we should keep that promise,” said former Attorney General and State Treasurer Bill Lockyer. “You do not balance budgets on the backs of permanently disabled workers. These are men and women who spent years serving their communities and now face the possibility of losing critical benefits they relied upon.”
Approximately 30,000 pending claims statewide could be impacted by the proposed changes.
During the press conference, speakers emphasized that weakening SIBTF would not eliminate costs, but instead shift financial burdens onto injured workers, families, local governments and taxpayer-funded healthcare and safety net systems.
James Grima, a former corrections officer with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office who suffered multiple workplace injuries throughout his career, spoke about the importance of the program for injured public safety workers.
“Public safety workers understand risk. We accept that when we put on the uniform,” Grima said. “But we also trust that California will stand behind us if we are seriously injured protecting our communities.”
Physicians speaking at the event discussed the long-term physical and emotional consequences many permanently disabled workers face, including chronic pain, mobility limitations, financial instability and worsening health outcomes tied to prolonged uncertainty surrounding benefits and care.
Speakers repeatedly called for any proposed reforms to move through the normal legislative process rather than through the state budget process.
“Californians deserve a transparent public discussion before protections for permanently disabled workers are fundamentally altered,” said lobbyist Alice Kessler. “These are major policy changes with serious real-world consequences for workers and families across the state.”
Organizations representing injured workers, labor and public safety personnel continue urging the Governor and Legislature to remove the proposed SIBTF provisions from the budget trailer bill and instead pursue a more open and deliberative policy process.
More information available at: www.cciw.net
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