Summary — HB 7141
AN ACT CONCERNING COMPENSATION PAID TO INJURED EMPLOYEES AND THE PARENTS OF A DECEASED EMPLOYEE UNDER THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT
Status & procedural history (selected)
- Bill number: HB 7141 (File No. 784)
- Introduced: March 5, 2025
- Referred to: Joint Committee on Judiciary (3/5/2025)
- Public hearing recorded: 03/10/2025 (listed as PUBLIC HEARING 0310)
- Joint Favorable Substitute recommended: 04/10/2025
- Filed with LCO: 04/11/2025
- Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis: 04/28/2025
- Reported out of LCO and given a favorable report; tabled for House Calendar (04/28/2025)
- House Calendar Number: 489; File No. 784
Purpose and intent
- The bill, as titled, proposes changes to compensation rules under the state Workers’ Compensation Act that affect (a) employees who sustain workplace injuries and (b) the parents of employees who die as a result of work-related injuries.
- The overall intent is to modify how benefits are calculated, allocated, or distributed to injured employees and to clarify or expand compensation available to surviving parents of deceased employees.
Key provisions (based on title; full text not provided)
- Changes to injured-employee compensation: The bill likely proposes revisions to benefit amounts, duration of payments, eligibility criteria, or calculation methods (for example, weekly indemnity, temporary/permanent disability classifications, or cost-of-living adjustments). Exact amendments are not available in the provided materials.
- Compensation to parents of a deceased employee: The bill appears to address death benefits payable to surviving parents — potentially clarifying parental dependency status, expanding eligibility (e.g., where parents were financially dependent), adjusting benefit amounts or caps, or changing procedural rules for claiming death benefits.
- Implementation and administrative provisions: The bill may include procedural changes affecting claims administration, evidentiary standards for dependency, or timelines for filing and appealing claims.
Who would be affected
- Injured employees receiving workers’ compensation benefits (current and future claimants)
- Parents and possibly other dependents of employees who die from work-related injuries
- Employers and their workers’ compensation insurers (potentially facing changed benefit obligations or premiums)
- The state’s workers’ compensation system and any public funds tied to administration or subsidy of benefits
Potential impacts
- Financial: Depending on specific changes, benefit increases or expanded eligibility could raise costs for employers and insurers and may be reflected in premium adjustments. Conversely, clarifications could reduce disputes and administrative costs.
- Administrative: New definitions or procedures may increase claim processing complexity in the short term but could reduce litigation if they clarify eligibility.
- Equity/coverage: Expanding death benefits to parents could provide financial relief to families not currently covered but could broaden the pool of eligible dependents.
What’s missing / recommended next steps
- The full bill text, the Joint Favorable Substitute language, and the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA) cost estimate are needed to assess specific legal changes and fiscal impact.
- Review committee testimony from the public hearing (03/10/2025) for stakeholder concerns and practical implications.
- Check the Legislative Commissioners’ Office (LCO) file for the exact statutory amendments and the final substitute language placed on the House Calendar.
Prepared as an objective summary based on bill title and available legislative actions; consult the bill text and OFA/OLR analyses for precise statutory language and quantified fiscal effects.
