Bill > SB667

This bill modifies several provisions of Missouri's workers' compensation laws, with key changes focusing on permanent total disability benefits, administrative law judges, and administrative procedures. The bill revises how permanent total disability compensation is calculated, allowing for benefits to be paid for the lifetime of an employee at a set weekly rate, and specifies that these benefits do not transfer to dependents or estates upon the employee's death. For occupational diseases due to toxic exposure, the bill establishes specific benefit structures, particularly for mesothelioma cases, including options for employers to elect liability coverage. The bill also significantly reforms the administrative law judge system by removing previous retention vote requirements and establishing a new process for addressing judicial performance and misconduct. Specifically, the director of the workers' compensation division can now file complaints with the administrative hearing commission to remove an administrative law judge for various reasons, including felony convictions, incompetency, or misconduct. Additionally, the bill makes technical changes to compensation structures for administrative law judges and clarifies their jurisdictional powers in hearing workers' compensation claims. These modifications aim to streamline workers' compensation processes, provide more clarity in benefit calculations, and establish more robust oversight of administrative law judges.

Justice

https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=3861749