Assembly Bill 651 proposes various amendments to Wisconsin's workers' compensation law, primarily aimed at enhancing benefits and streamlining processes. Key changes include an increase in the maximum weekly compensation for permanent partial disability from $446 to $454 for injuries before January 1, 2027, and to $462 for injuries occurring thereafter. The bill also extends supplemental benefits for permanent total disability to injuries occurring before January 1, 2020, and raises the benefit amounts to align with 2020 rates, while indexing future benefits to annual adjustments. Additionally, it modifies the compromise agreement process, allowing direct payments to injured employees and clarifying the dismissal of claims upon approval of such agreements.

The bill further addresses the statute of limitations for certain traumatic injuries, adding shoulder replacements to the list exempt from limitations, and specifies that the 12-year statute may not be tolled. It also revises the calculation of permanent partial disability ratings, ensuring that health care providers determine ratings for repeated surgical procedures rather than aggregating them. Other provisions include allowing certified reports from physician assistants and audiologists as admissible evidence in claims, enhancing access to medical records during inpatient hospitalization, and imposing stricter penalties for uninsured employers. The bill also extends fraud reporting requirements to include fraudulent applications for workers' compensation insurance coverage.