Laura Kelly signs workers compensation reform into law, raising payout
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill that updates Kansas' workers compensation system into law on Thursday that increases maximum benefits to injured employees.
The bill is a compromise between organized labor and business organizations that passed both the House and Senate with unanimous support. Stakeholders in labor and business worked to craft the bill over the past year, and neither chamber offered amendments on the bill before passing it.
“SB 430 is the result of Labor, the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and other business interests working together to improve the Kansas Workers
Compensation Act,” said Jan Fisher, representative of Kansas AFL-CIO.
In addition to increasing the maximum benefit workers received if injured on the job, it also changes some processes to enroll in workers compensation programs. It would limit the use of independent medical exams to prove one's injury, set timelines for exchanging medical records and allows workers compensation disputes to be settled without a hearing.
“This legislation is a win for our workforce, our businesses and organized labor,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “The reforms in this legislation will create a more just and efficient workers compensation system that increases the benefits for injured workers while creating administrative efficiencies and maintaining stability for businesses.”
The state will start adding cost-ofliving adjustments starting in 2027 and will ratchet up with inflation. Claiming benefits under workers compensation will also not have as big of an impact on employees Social Security benefits later on, which currently get offset with workers compensation coverage.
“After years of erosion to basic worker protections, this compromise package signals a shift in how we will treat and assist employees in our state who suffer a tragic workplace injury,” said Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson.