Pre-filed bill means workers' comp changes may be coming

The world of employment seems to be on the shift for the new year. Several states are prefiling bills that could lead to changes in workers’ compensation and workplace safety in 2020.

S.B. 451 will be introduced in New Hampshire on January 8th, and proposes to establish administrative hearing proceedings and penalties for employers who fail to secure workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. Under the bill, if an employer were found to be without workers’ compensation insurance, it would be fined and subjected to an immediate stop-work order.

In the same state, S.B. 418 would penalize employers refusing to cooperate with auditing requirements of their workers’ compensation policies by forcing them to pay penalties for noncooperation of up to three times the estimated workers’ compensation premium.

In Florida, H.B. 1049 will provide an additional $1.5 million in salary adjustments to its judges of compensation claims.

Virginia is also making some waves.  A Virginia delegate filed H.B. 169 to expand occupational disease presumption laws in the state. Under the current law, a first responder exposed to blood or bodily fluids on the job, and tested for a variety of serious diseases including hepatitis, and meningococcal meningitis, and the bill would expand it to cover corrections officers.

Washington State is seeing movement on S.B. 6122, recently filed, that would make staffing agencies that provide temporary workers to visit worksites, to review the health and safety training practices and provide free hazard training before work begins. The bill would also require Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries to review industrial injury claims for the last three years and provide a report on those findings by the end of the year 2020.

Related:

• Three workplace safety trends to keep your eye on in 2020
• P&C Legislative Round-Up: January 2020
• P&C Legislative Round-Up: December 2019