Subcommittee advances unemployment adjustments, first‑responder benefits and other measures; several bills sent to appropriations

The Virginia House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee 2 heard a slate of bills affecting workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and occupational licensing and moved several measures forward on recorded votes.

Highlights: HB 20-60 (workers’ compensation for first responders) was reported 7-0 and referred to Appropriations; HB 17-66 (increase weekly unemployment benefits by $100) and HB 17-67 (uniform 26‑week maximum benefit duration) were each reported to Appropriations by 5-2 votes; HB 19-51 was struck from the docket by a 7-0 vote at the start of the meeting; HB 17-49 (45‑day timeline for workers’ compensation employer determination) was laid on the table by a 5-2 vote; HB 18-51 (add sheriffs/deputies to certain presumptions for occupational disease) was tabled 4-2 after cost and scientific-evidence concerns; and HB 19-33 (expand throat‑cancer definition for presumption coverage) was reported 7-0 and referred to Appropriations.

Workers’ compensation for first responders (HB 2,060). Delegate Krzyzyk presented HB 2,060 to expand coverage for firefighters and law enforcement officers. The bill would increase certain mental‑health-related benefit periods — for example, expanding post‑traumatic stress disorder coverage from 52 weeks to 500 weeks — to bring…