Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Funeral Benefits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Family of worker killed on job urges higher worker-compensation funeral reimbursement
Summary
Senator Lovely and the mother of a man killed on a construction site urged the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to raise the workers’ compensation reimbursement cap for funeral costs, saying the current statute left the family facing out‑of‑pocket expenses.
Senator Lovely and Rena Harrington, mother of Justin Harrington (a worker killed in a 2018 construction accident), testified in support of Senate 1353 and House 2138, legislation to increase the workers' compensation reimbursement for funeral expenses.
Why it matters: Testimony recounted a family's experience being left to pay funeral expenses because insurer payment and statutory limits did not cover typical funeral costs. Witnesses asked the committee to raise the cap so families are not saddled with immediate out‑of‑pocket costs after a workplace fatality.
Key testimony - Senator Lovely described last session's movement on the issue and introduced the refiled bill, noting that the current statutory formula ties burial reimbursement to a multiple of the average weekly wage and can be insufficient for modern funeral costs. - Rena Harrington recounted the 2018 death of her son, saying funeral expenses were not covered in full: “Families should not have to pick and choose what they can afford to pay when a loved one passes away unexpectedly and tragically while at work.”
Proposal details: The bill would require insurers handling workers' compensation to cover funeral costs up to $25,000 or ten times the average weekly wage, whichever is greater. Sponsors said this would more adequately reflect modern funeral costs that can exceed current reimbursement caps.
Discussion vs. decision: The committee received testimony and no formal vote was recorded at the hearing.
Ending: Supporters asked the committee to report the bill favorably so that families of workers killed on the job are not left with uncovered funeral expenses.
