Bill > S06078

This bill, named the "Joseph Fletcher Act," aims to help essential workers who died from COVID-19 receive death benefits by expanding the timeframe for filing workers' compensation claims. Specifically, the bill allows essential employees (as defined by an executive order during the early pandemic period) or their families to file or refile death benefit claims related to COVID-19 within one year of the bill's effective date, even if previous claims were previously denied or missed statutory filing deadlines. The bill instructs the workers' compensation board to re-examine and reconsider previously denied claims, providing a second chance for essential workers' families to receive compensation for COVID-19 related deaths. The legislation is temporary, set to automatically expire and be repealed two years after its enactment, and is designed to provide retroactive relief for those who may have missed earlier opportunities to file claims during the challenging early stages of the pandemic.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6078