The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently advanced House Bill 1840, authored by Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin), to institute reforms to the state’s Workers’ Compensation system.
“I am pleased at the support of my colleagues for this bill, which will correct some key areas of the Workers’ Compensation system that were impacted by a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision last year,” Kauffman said. “The bill will protect workers and save employers and the state millions of dollars.”
The legislation would reduce Workers’ Compensation costs for employers and increase burial benefits for claimants from $3,000 to $7,000.
“The court decision last year invalidated one of the major cost controls of the Workers’ Compensation system that was enacted in the 1990s based on a technicality,” Kauffman said. “Because of that decision employers were basically saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional workers’ compensation costs. This has been a major issue for Pennsylvania’s business community, which was being unfairly impacted by the court’s decision. House Bill 1840 restores the controls in a manner that complies with the law.”
The bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration.