Kansas bills propose amendments on Social Security, horseplay

A series of bills were introduced in the Kansas House of Representatives on Tuesday proposing amendments to workers compensation standards.

H.B. 2016 seeks to replace the workers compensation prevailing factor standard with a substantial factor standard. The bill eliminates the rule that “an injury is not compensable solely because it aggravates, accelerates or exacerbates a preexisting condition or renders a preexisting condition symptomatic.”

H.B. 2041 seeks to provide that workers compensation benefits for workers who are receiving Social Security or retirement benefits at the time of an accident are not reduced due to the receipt of the Social Security or retirement benefits.

H.B. 2017 amends the disallowance of workers compensation benefits for fighting or horseplay if not work-related, clarifying the language on the legal definition of horseplay.

The partisan bills were introduced and referred to Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, where each are currently pending.