Bill > SB1156

This bill amends Arizona's workers' compensation law regarding death benefits by increasing the burial expense reimbursement from $5,000 to $10,000 and making several technical corrections to language (such as changing "per cent" to "percent" and "upon" to "on"). The bill maintains the existing structure of death benefits, which provides financial support to different categories of survivors depending on their relationship to the deceased worker, including surviving spouses, children, parents, and siblings. The benefits are calculated as a percentage of the deceased worker's average monthly wage and have specific conditions for payment, such as age limits for children (typically 18 years, with extensions for full-time students or children incapable of self-support) and changes in benefits based on remarriage or death of the primary survivor. The bill also preserves provisions for partial dependents, allowing them to receive proportional compensation based on their level of financial dependency, with a maximum compensation period of 100 months. Additionally, the bill includes a provision for funeral expenses of a dependent, capped at $800, if that dependent dies before the end of their originally awarded compensation period.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82327