This bill aims to provide supplemental benefits to certain workers' compensation recipients starting July 1, 2025. Specifically, it targets employees or their dependents who are receiving weekly benefits for disabilities or deaths occurring after December 31, 1979, and who are not eligible for special adjustment benefits or supplemental benefits under previous laws. The bill stipulates that these individuals will receive weekly supplemental benefits from the Second Injury Fund if their initially-awarded benefits are less than the total amount they would receive if supplemental benefits were included. The funding for these supplemental benefits will come from the General Fund, and the bill outlines a gradual increase in the actual amount of supplemental benefits over three fiscal years, reaching 100% by fiscal year 2028.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions to ensure that the supplemental benefits do not exceed certain limits, particularly in relation to Social Security benefits. It mandates that the total of the workers' compensation benefits and supplemental benefits cannot exceed the threshold that would trigger a reduction in Social Security disability benefits. The bill also requires insurance carriers or self-insured employers to notify the Division of Workers Compensation within 60 days if supplemental benefits are needed, transferring liability for incorrect payments to the employer if they fail to do so. Importantly, the bill maintains existing provisions regarding offsets between workers' compensation and Social Security benefits, ensuring that it does not alter current laws in that regard.