4. Illinois governor signs COVID bill for essential workers
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In June, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law what remains the most sweeping presumption of compensability for workplace-acquired COVID-19.
The trend began with an executive order by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on May 6 creating a rebuttable presumption for COVID-19 workers compensation coverage for 16 different classes of workers in the state. Now, 17 states have either passed laws or issued executive orders creating a rebuttable presumption of compensability for certain classes of workers who believe they acquired coronavirus on the job.
High interest in the continuously evolving presumption landscape made the story about the Illinois bill the fourth most read workers compensation story of the year on the Business Insurance website.
Illinois H.B. 2455 made it easier for front-line and essential workers who contract COVID-19 on the job to obtain workers compensation benefits. The law also added death benefits for first responders who were presumably infected with COVID-19 on duty and revised state code to expand unemployment benefits and sick pay and leave for workers who contract the virus.
Michigan is the most recent state to create a COVID-19 rebuttable presumption via an executive order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in March, but workers comp industry leaders listed further expansion of rebuttable presumptions as a top concern going into 2021, according to a December study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.
