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House committee debates H.57 after appropriations stalls; members split on adding correctional officers
Summary
A House committee continued discussion of H.57 after the Appropriations Committee declined to move the bill and asked for more testimony. Lawmakers and witnesses disagreed over removing a proposed expansion of definitional language and whether to include correctional officers among beneficiaries covered by the measure.
The House General Assembly committee continued its discussion of H.57 on Thursday, March (session), after the Appropriations Committee declined to move the bill and asked for additional testimony.
Appropriations elected not to return H.57 to the committee, leaving members to decide whether to send draft recommendations to appropriations or to keep the bill as introduced and hope appropriations takes it up. Committee members and witnesses discussed two core issues: a treasurer’s office recommendation to remove an expansion of definitional language from the bill, and whether correctional officers should be included among employees covered by the proposal.
Members said appropriations asked the committee to hear more testimony about existing benefits and what is already provided through workers’ compensation and other programs. The committee heard from representatives of the treasurer’s office and industry witnesses (identified in committee testimony as Chris Ford and Steve) earlier in the day; those witnesses described current workers’ compensation classifications, presumption language used for firefighters and law-enforcement officers, and where gaps remain.
Several committee members said they felt the appropriations request for more testimony had been satisfied. Others urged caution: removing the definition-expansion language, the treasurer’s office recommended, would require a separate, larger discussion about what should replace the removed text.
The committee debated whether to keep corrections in the bill. Some members expressed support for including correctional officers, describing difficult working conditions and staffing shortages; others warned that adding corrections complicates implementation and could delay passage. One member noted the bill had received strong support on the House floor previously and said the committee should avoid indefinite delay.
Members also discussed aligning definitions in H.57 with language in H.461 so that family and beneficiary definitions are consistent across bills that address labor and benefits. Several committee members requested a written explanation from appropriations describing precisely what additional testimony or language changes would satisfy them before the committee spends further time drafting amendments.
No formal vote was taken during the session. The chair left briefly to consult with leaders in appropriations and to obtain the written guidance members requested; committee staff said they would attempt to provide the requested clarification before further action.
Background: committee members referenced Section 31‑73 of the chapter as part of the statutory framework governing monetary benefits and noted workers’ compensation provisions that currently set presumptions for firefighters and some law-enforcement officers. Witnesses and members identified corrections, law enforcement, firefighters and Department for Children and Families social workers as groups potentially affected by the bill’s changes.
The committee will decide in follow-up what, if any, draft language to send to appropriations and whether to make formal recommendations. Until appropriations acts, the bill’s path and timing remain uncertain.
