Infectious disease presumptions pass in two states
- May 30, 2024
- Posted by: Web workers
- Category: Workers Comp
Two states have passed workers compensation infectious disease presumptions that go beyond that for COVID-19 infections, five states are still considering such measures and eight such legislative efforts failed throughout 2021, according to a legislative report released Tuesday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.
Signed into law on May 11 in Washington, S.B. 5190 provides health care workers with presumptive benefits during a public health emergency. Tennessee’s S.B. 995, signed into law April 13, established a presumption for “emergency rescue workers for a virus or other communicable disease for which a pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization or federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and for which the governor has declared a state of emergency, according to analysis by the Boca Raton, Florida-based ratings agency.
As of August, Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Pennsylvania are still considering measures that would make infectious diseases under certain conditions compensable under workers compensation.
Such efforts failed in Florida, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, where lawmakers considered two bills, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Texas, according to NCCI.
