The proposed legislation, General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6969, aims to amend the eligibility criteria for incapacity benefits under the Workers' Compensation Act. The bill introduces new provisions that stipulate that any employee who has chosen to retire from the workforce and subsequently experiences incapacity will not be eligible for compensation. Additionally, the bill maintains that employees suffering from total incapacity due to work-related injuries will receive a weekly compensation of seventy-five percent of their average weekly earnings, with a minimum payment guarantee of twenty percent of the maximum weekly compensation rate, as outlined in section 31-309.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that employees injured due to their employer's violation of health and safety regulations will be entitled to receive one hundred percent of their average weekly earnings at the time of the injury. It also clarifies the types of injuries that qualify as causing total incapacity, including severe loss of sight, limbs, or permanent paralysis. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, and aims to ensure that incapacity benefits are not available to those who have voluntarily retired from the workforce.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 31-307