The California State Senate recently proposed a new bill aimed at professional athletes. But it is already facing opposition in the NFL, especially from San Francisco. 

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) released a statement against moving the bill yesterday, on behalf of the San Francisco 49ers players.

“Football takes a real toll on our bodies and workers’ compensation was built for high-risk jobs like ours. We oppose California SB 795 because it singles out professional athletes and tells us we deserve fewer protections than every other worker in the state,” read the statement. 

If passed by the Assembly, California Senate Bill 795 will update California's workers’ compensation law, which restricts athletes' claims within the state.

The statement added, “If you put in the work and put your body on the line on the job, you should have access to the workers’ comp system like any other employee.”

California SB 795 recommends restricting professional athletes from filing for workers’ compensation for cumulative injuries. It also exempts professional athletes who didn’t perform or were working temporarily in the state. 

Per Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle, the bill originated as a horse racing bill.

It was amended to state that the employer of an athlete is exempt from liability for claims involving occupational disease or cumulative injury if the athlete has performed less than 20% of their duty days in California in the previous year.

Florito Maniego of NBC Sports Bay Area added that athletes already covered by another state’s compensation insurance won’t be covered by California, wherever applicable.

However, this law would provide transparency across multi-state leagues and teams. Implementing it would lower costs for teams and insurance companies regarding claims filed in California. 

The 49ers’ statement comes at a time when it was previously reported that they, along with two other franchises, are in support of the California SB 795.

San Francisco 49ers Confirm Position on California SB 795

Earlier, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that three NFL teams were reportedly supporting changes to California's workers' compensation law ahead of the 2026 season. 

“Although neither the NFL nor any of the California-based franchises have made a public statement in that regard, the sponsor of the Bill (Senator Laura Richardson) has indicated in a summary of the proposed bill that the NFL and the three California franchises support it,” mentioned Florio in a June 6 report.

The three franchises reportedly in favor of the California SB 795 were the LA Rams, the LA Chargers, and the San Francisco 49ers.

However, the 49ers' statement via the NFLPA on Tuesday confirmed that, contrary to earlier reports, they did not support the California SB 795.

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit