Garamendi Eases Entry To State Fund When California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi directed the State Compensation Insurance Fund to ease access requirements for small employers recently, the move did not represent a change of position, according to a department spokesperson.

"Mr. Garamendi did not change his mind," as was reported by some news media. Rather, he was "responding to businesses too small to get quotes from large insurers," said Nanci Kramer, deputy press secretary for the department.

Reaffirming his instruction that it remain Californias "insurer of last resort," Mr. Garamendi, on April 21, directed the State Compensation Insurance Fund to ease access requirements for small employers seeking workers compensation coverage. He said in a statement that he was directing State Fund management "to eliminate its requirement for those small employers who are not represented by a broker to provide proof of declination from three other carriers before submitting an application."