The proposed bill, General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6408, aims to expand compensation for dependents in cases of death resulting from an accident. It modifies the existing law by repealing subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 31-306 and replacing it with new provisions. The bill introduces two key insertions: (A) it allows for compensation to be divided among one or more persons who are wholly dependent on the deceased employee, and (B) it stipulates that if there are no presumptive dependents, the compensation shall be divided equally among the next of kin of the deceased employee.

Additionally, the bill maintains that compensation will be payable for a maximum of 312 weeks from the date of the employee's death, with full compensation rates for those wholly dependent and specific limits for those partially dependent. The changes are set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and aim to provide a more equitable distribution of compensation to those affected by workplace fatalities.