Oklahoma lawmakers passed bills on Tuesday that would make an injured worker’s failure to report a material change in income a felony and place liability for cumulative trauma injuries on former employers.
H.B. 3841, which passed unanimously in the state’s House of Representatives, would make an injured workers’ failure to report a material change in income to the state a felony.
Under the bill, workers receiving temporary total disability benefits who neglect to notify a material income change to the employer, insurer or third-party administrator may be convicted of a felony punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both.
S.B. 1818, which passed 36-9 in the state’s Senate, modifies the state’s list of non-compensable incidents to include injuries that result from idiopathic injuries.
The bill also adds language making a worker’s former employer — and that company’s insurer — liable for cumulative trauma injuries if the worker was last exposed to the trauma at the former workplace during a period of at least 90 days or more.
If signed into law, the bills would take effect Nov. 1, 2020.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed legislation that expands workers compensation coverage for first responders, limits continuing medical maintenance awards and requires employers to pay for drug treatment.