Senator Wants to Reduce Workers’ Comp for Marijuana Users

February 15, 2024

Bill would reduce workers’ comp for marijuana usage

  • Missouri Sen. Mike Bernskoetter wants workers’ compensation benefits — under certain circumstances — to be reduced or eliminated for marijuana users.
  • Under current law, workers’ comp awards and benefits of an injured employee are reduced by 50% while death benefits are forfeited altogether if the employee is injured or killed after failing to obey an employer rule and the injury or death was sustained in conjunction with the use of alcohol or nonprescribed controlled drugs.
  • Bernskoetter wants to expand those provisions to also include the use of marijuana.
  • The bill has been read twice and referred to the General Laws Committee.
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Pennsylvania commissions approve grant from workers’ comp

  • The Union County (Pa.) commissioners unanimously approved $20,252 in grants from the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool (PCoRP) and the Pennsylvania Counties Workers’ Compensation Trust (PComp).
  • The funds will be used for the following departments: sheriff, prison, maintenance, and Children & Youth Services.
  • Union County has its insurance through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. PComp is worker’s compensation and PCoRP is liability insurance.
  • As the county pays into the funds, and the effort to keep the costs or claims down, any excess money does not go to some for-profit individuals, it comes back to the counties to increase our safety.
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Texas launches new workers’ comp webinars

  • The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) launched CompCourses, a series of webinars to help professionals keep up with the latest information and trends.
  • CompCourses will offer quarterly webinars through Zoom starting Feb. 21, 2024, with topics ranging from how to calculate wage statements to the development of successful return-to-work strategies for injured employees.
  • Part of DWC’s core mission is to educate system participants. with learning opportunities that improve the overall landscape of workers’ compensation in Texas.
  • DWC hopes users enjoy these educational opportunities, and it looks forward to feedback in post-webinar surveys.
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Contractors group responds to fatality report in North Carolina

  • An article by Carolina Public Press revealed that the construction industry in North Carolina has had the highest number of deaths in the state for most of the past 14 years – with nearly 60 construction workers involved in fatalities between January 2021 and September 2023.
  • The article advocated leveling harsher penalties for infractions.
  • Jacob Garmon, director of Safety, Suppliers & Sponsorships for the Carolinas Associated General Contractors, said there are numerous safety regulations, Garmon said. The association members are “proactive” about safety, he said.
  • The association has an alliance agreement with the North and South Carolina labor departments to discuss new regulations or trends in incidents.
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