Bill > H2138

This bill modifies the existing workers' compensation law in Massachusetts to expand funeral expense coverage for work-related deaths. Currently, the law allows insurers to pay burial expenses up to eight times the average weekly wage in the state. The proposed amendment significantly increases this coverage, allowing reimbursement for a broader range of funeral and memorial expenses up to $25,000 or 10 times the average weekly wage, whichever amount is higher. The expanded expenses can include funeral visitation services, interment space and services, flowers, casket, death notices, and headstones. This change aims to provide more comprehensive financial support to families who have lost a loved one in a work-related incident, recognizing that funeral costs can be substantial and potentially burdensome during a time of grief. By increasing both the types of covered expenses and the total reimbursement amount, the bill seeks to offer more meaningful assistance to workers' families in the event of a workplace fatality.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2138