A rewriting of the state’s workers’ compensation law begins today at the state capitol.
The House and the Senate reached a compromise agreement on changes to workers’ comp last year but didn’t have time to pass the bill. Senator Tom Dempsey of St. Peters is starting this year with that compromise bill.
It says occupational diseases are exclusively covered by workers’ compensation laws. It defines toxic exposure and says workers who sue employers and win judgments after getting workers’ comp payments will not have to give those payments back to the employer.
The bill says employees not legally authorized to work in this country are not covered by the workers’ comp program
Dempsey expects robust debate but nothing like the debate on changing employment discrimination laws.