Bill > LB522

This bill modifies the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Act by changing two key provisions: the waiting period for compensation and the introduction of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). First, the bill reduces the waiting period for workers' compensation benefits from seven to three calendar days, meaning workers will start receiving compensation sooner after a workplace injury. If the disability continues for two weeks or longer, compensation will be calculated from the first day of disability. Secondly, the bill establishes an annual cost-of-living adjustment for weekly income benefits that last longer than twelve months, beginning in 2026. The COLA will be the greater of 1% or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. Each January 1st, the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court will determine the COLA percentage, and beneficiaries' weekly income benefits will be automatically adjusted at the end of each twelve-month period. These adjustments are designed to help workers' compensation benefits keep pace with inflation, ensuring that injured workers maintain a comparable standard of living over time. The adjustments will not exceed the maximum weekly income benefit specified in existing law.

Business and Industry

https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59623