House Bill No. 6863, also known as Public Act No. 25-12, addresses deficiency appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and includes provisions for compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act. The bill appropriates a total of $554,791,379 from the General Fund, with significant allocations for Medicaid, housing services, and personal services across various departments, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Social Services. It also reduces appropriations for certain agencies by a total of $88,650,000 from the General Fund, with specific reductions outlined for the Special Transportation Fund, Banking Fund, and Insurance Fund, including a $4,110,000 reduction in personal services for the Department of Transportation.

The bill introduces new legal language regarding the Workers' Compensation Fund and modifies the compensation structure for injured employees. It repeals and substitutes existing provisions to establish a new framework for calculating benefits based on average weekly earnings and injury severity. Additionally, it creates a working group to study rehabilitation services for injured employees, with a focus on funding adequacy and service utilization. Key amendments include the introduction of supplemental benefits for employees engaged in vocational rehabilitation, broadening eligibility by removing previous restrictions, and specifying that these benefits can last for up to sixty weeks. The bill also mandates that administrative law judges award compensation based on the proportion of total loss or loss of use of a member, with new compensation guidelines effective from July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Public Act No. 25-12: 31-308a