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Utah Senate advances bill denying some workers’ comp benefits when impairment is major cause of injury
Summary
After hours of debate and multiple floor amendments, the Utah Senate advanced a substitute of Senate Bill 128 to third reading. Sponsors say the measure targets on‑the‑job drug and alcohol impairment; opponents warned it risks shifting medical costs and undermining the no‑fault compensation system.
The Utah Senate on Feb. 21 advanced Senate Bill 128, a substitute measure that would deny indemnity and ongoing medical benefits under the state workers’ compensation system when illegal drugs or alcohol are the major contributing cause of a workplace accident.
Sponsor Senator David Bueller, speaking for the Business, Labor and Economic Development Committee, said the bill implements recommendations from the governor’s task force to discourage impairment at work. “The largest contributing factor to accidents on the job is alcohol and drug abuse,” Bueller said on the Senate floor, and the legislation, he added, preserves emergency medical benefits while narrowing ongoing indemnity payments where impairment is shown to be the major cause of…
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