Gov. Phil Murphy, D-New Jersey, on Monday signed into law a bill that provides workers compensation benefits for essential workers who acquire COVID-19.
Lawmakers in July passed S.B. 2380, which creates the rebuttable presumption that COVID-19 is an occupational disease during a declared state of emergency for certain workers.
According to the law, essential employees are classified as those whose job duties are considered essential during an emergency response and recovery operation; public or private sector employees whose job duties are essential to the public’s health, safety and welfare; emergency responders and workers at health care facilities and those performing jobs that support a health care facility, such as laundry, research and hospital food service.
The legislation takes effect immediately and will be retroactive to March 9.
New Jersey may become the next state to enact a law presuming that essential workers who acquire COVID-19 did so on the job.