Substitute House Bill No. 7141 amends the Workers' Compensation Act to enhance compensation rates for injured employees and the parents of deceased employees. The bill repeals subsection (b) of section 31-308 and introduces a new compensation structure that guarantees injured employees seventy-five percent of their average weekly earnings, with a minimum of fifty dollars and a maximum based on the average earnings of production and related workers in manufacturing. It also specifies compensation rates for various injuries, including the loss of limbs and organs, effective from July 1, 2025. Additionally, the bill removes the discretion of administrative law judges (ALJs) in awarding temporary partial incapacity benefits, instead mandating that compensation for permanent partial loss of function be based on the proportion of total loss.

Moreover, the bill modifies section 31-306 to clarify compensation for dependents of deceased employees, ensuring that benefits are divided among wholly dependent individuals or equally among the deceased employee's parents if no one is wholly dependent. It establishes a working group to study the adequacy of rehabilitation services for injured employees, which will include various stakeholders and is required to report its findings by February 1, 2026. The bill also stipulates that wholly dependent survivors will receive full benefits for up to 312 weeks, while partially dependent survivors will receive a minimum of $20 per week, capped at the full benefit rate or the average weekly contribution from the deceased. The working group is mandated to meet monthly and will dissolve upon submitting its report or on February 1, 2026, whichever is later.