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Committee hears bill to end benefits for workers who leave U.S.; state agencies warn of legal, policy risks
Summary
House Bill 805 would bar workers’ compensation benefits for people the bill labels as "illegal aliens" and allow closing claims when claimants leave the United States; the Department of Labor and Industry and unions warned of constitutional and policy problems.
Helena — A proposal to deny workers’ compensation benefits to people described in the bill as “illegal aliens,” and to allow closure of claims when claimants leave the United States, prompted detailed legal opposition at a House Business and Labor Committee hearing.
Representative Nellie Nickel introduced House Bill 805, which would clarify how Montana’s workers’ compensation system treats claimants who are not authorized to work in the U.S. and claimants who travel outside the country. Nickel said the bill responds to unspecified gaps in current law and aims to prevent employers and insurers paying claims when recipients are outside the U.S. and unavailable for treatment or return to work.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry and its…
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