Bill > A08482

This bill amends the Workers' Compensation Law to prohibit insurance carriers and employers from withholding, diminishing, or conditioning workers' compensation benefits based on whether an injured worker demonstrates "attachment to the labor market" - which essentially means actively seeking employment. Specifically, the bill removes previous language that required workers to show ongoing employment efforts to continue receiving benefits for permanent partial disability. The legislation clarifies that benefits cannot be reduced or denied just because an injured worker is not actively job hunting, even if they potentially could perform some type of work. The bill also maintains provisions that limit the duration of benefits based on the percentage of wage-earning capacity lost, with benefit weeks ranging from 225 to 525 weeks depending on the severity of the disability. Additionally, the bill preserves protections for medical services, ensuring that such services can continue even after a worker has exhausted their maximum compensation weeks, with the burden of proof lying with the carrier to discontinue medical treatment. The law will take effect immediately upon passage.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8482