Bill > SB2513

This bill, titled the "Workers' Right to Live Act," establishes new provisions for addressing workplace fatalities in Tennessee, aiming to increase employer accountability and worker safety. Key provisions include requiring employers to report any workplace fatality within 24 hours to the state's division of occupational safety and health, with significant civil penalties of at least $50,000 for failure to report. The division will then investigate to determine if the death was due to employer negligence, such as failing to follow safety regulations or provide adequate training, or if it was an unavoidable medical emergency or a true accident without fault. If employer negligence is found to be the cause, the employer will face a minimum fine of $250,000 per fatality, payable to a newly created "worker protection fund" administered by the division, and may face additional fines based on the severity of the violation and prior offenses. Furthermore, starting July 1, 2026, any company receiving economic incentives, such as tax abatements, from the state's department of economic and community development will be subject to a "claw back provision," meaning they will have to repay those incentives received in the previous three fiscal years if a workplace fatality is later determined to be due to their negligence. Employers demonstrating a pattern of negligence leading to multiple fatalities will be barred from receiving state economic incentives for at least five years. The bill also amends existing workers' compensation law to remove any cap or limit on the total amount of compensation payable in certain circumstances.

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https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/Default?BillNumber=SB2513&ga=114