Washington – The effectiveness of state workers’ compensation laws has not been reviewed in nearly 40 years, but newly introduced legislation seeks to change that.
Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) on Feb. 10 introduced the National Commission on State Workers’ Compensation Laws Act (H.R. 623). If passed, the bill would create a national commission to evaluate the adequacy and equitableness of state workers’ comp laws.
The last such commission, authorized in 1972, made several recommendations to improve laws throughout the country. Since then, the issue has not been revisited to ensure state laws still provide suitable wage and medical benefits, according to a Baca press release.
“I am confident the non-partisan, independent commission my bill would establish will underscore what is working in state workers’ compensation laws and bring to light the areas that need improvement,” the congressman said in the release.
Baca introduced similar legislation in the previous Congress, but it failed to move out of committee.
