The legislation, A.B. 1093, also known as Taneka Talley’s Law, was introduced after the death of a African American employee who was stabbed to death in 2006 while on the job at a Dollar Tree store.
The employer’s insurer initially denied death benefits for the woman’s 8-year-old son. The insurer argued that because the perpetrator said he sought to kill a black person, there was a personal connection between the attacker and the employee unrelated to Talley’s employment.
The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2010, also bars denying coverage because of a personal connection when someone is killed or injured on the job due to their national origin, age, disability or gender.