Lawmakers in Washington state Thursday filed legislation designed to improve return-to-work outcomes for injured workers.
House Bill 2127 would make various changes to the state’s workers compensation law dealing with temporary disability in cases where workers may be able to return to work with modified duties.
Among other things, the measure would make employers eligible to be reimbursed for an injured worker’s wages for light duty or transitional work for a maximum of 120 workdays within a 12-month period. The current maximum is 66 days.
The legislation would also raise the maximum wage subsidy paid to employers per worker to $25,000, from the current $10,000.
The legislation would also provide funding for training returning injured workers.