The bill, Substitute House Bill No. 5325, concerns the compensation paid to injured employees under the Workers' Compensation Act. It proposes an amendment to the general statutes, specifically to subsection (b) of section 31-308, which will be effective from July 1, 2024. The amendment includes a change in the compensation for certain injuries, where the compensation will be 75% of the injured employee's average weekly earnings, after deductions for federal and state taxes and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. The compensation is subject to a maximum and minimum weekly amount based on the average weekly earnings of production and related workers in manufacturing in the state. The bill also details the number of weeks of compensation for various injuries, including the loss of limbs, organs, and senses, with specific weeks assigned to each type of injury.

Notably, the bill includes an insertion that changes the number of weeks of compensation for a cervical spine injury from 117 weeks to 208 weeks. Other injuries and their corresponding weeks of compensation are listed, ranging from the loss of a tooth (minimum of 1 week) to injuries to the heart, brain, or carotid artery (520 weeks). The bill also outlines how the loss or loss of use of a phalanx of a thumb, finger, or toe is to be compensated. The bill's fiscal impact statement indicates that it will result in an increase in Workers' Compensation expenditures of approximately $1 million per year beginning in FY 25. The bill has received a Joint Favorable Substitute recommendation from the Judiciary Committee.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-308a, 31-283a