Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law dozens of changes to worker’s compensation in the state, from expanding PTSD coverage for some first responders to boosting certain disability benefit rates.
The Dem guv yesterday signed AB 651 at the Wisconsin State Council of Machinists Annual Conference, his office announced. The legislation was developed with recommendations from the Workers Compensation Advisory Council, the release notes.
In a statement on the bill signing, Evers noted the state’s “proud history” of ensuring workers are treated with dignity and respect.
“Today, we’re proving that we’re more committed to that legacy than ever, and I want to thank all the bipartisan partners for their support and advocacy to come to good faith agreements and get this done,” he said.
The newly enacted law includes various changes to claims and payments under the state’s worker’s comp system, such as boosting the maximum weekly compensation rate for permanent partial disability from $446 to $454 for injuries before Jan. 1, 2027, and to $462 for injuries on or after that date.
It also expands the list of injuries for which there’s no statute of limitations on bringing claims under worker’s compensation, adding traumatic injuries that cause the need for a shoulder replacement or reverse shoulder replacement.
Another provision bars health care providers from restricting an employer’s or insurer’s case management personnel from accessing records or participating in discharge planning for an injured worker that’s been hospitalized.
Yet another provision extends worker’s comp PTSD coverage eligibility to emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, and volunteer or part-time firefighters, using the same standards currently in place for full-time firefighters and law enforcement.
Sen. Andre Jacque, R-New Franken, touted the law’s passage, noting he proposed the extended PTSD coverage at the start of the session before it was wrapped into the broader WCAC package.
“Extending PTSD coverage is an issue of fairness,” Jacque said yesterday in a statement. “Community heroes who have given so much of themselves and need healing because of their service deserve our support, and I am excited to see this critical care extended to those to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude.”
Other elements of the new law relate to penalties for uninsured employers, application and premium fraud, the hearing and dispute resolution process for claims under the program, and more.
Evers also issued a partial veto for AB 650, removing a provision that would have allowed funds currently used for controlled substance testing and treatment to go toward claimant identity proofing.
The change “preserves the bill’s underlying appropriation structure” for Department of Workforce Development activities and supports the administration of unemployment insurance, he wrote in his veto message.
