SB 6067
In CommitteeSenate
Workers' compensation
Concerning workers' compensation benefits.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill raises the percentage of wages paid to workers with permanent total disability for claims filed on or after July 1, 2026, and ensures full coverage of health care benefits if the employer stops paying them after injury. It also updates benefit formulas based on family size and clarifies rules for multiple injuries and attendant care.
- For injuries on or after July 1, 2026, workers with permanent total disability receive 100% coverage of employer-paid health care benefits (if the employer stops paying after injury) plus increased wage replacement based on family size (from 60% to 75% of wages).
- Wage replacement percentages for new claims are tied to family size: 60% for unmarried without children, rising to 75% for those with five or more children (regardless of marital status).
- Workers injured before July 1, 2026 continue to receive benefits under the older formulas (e.g., 65% for married without children, up to 70% for unmarried with five or more children).
- Workers who need an attendant for daily care receive separate monthly payments for that care, unless already receiving care under other state programs (e.g., long-term care).
- If a worker suffers a second injury resulting in permanent total disability, they can still receive full benefits for the new injury — even if they previously received a lump-sum payment for an earlier injury.
Who is affected
- Workers with permanent total disability (injuries on or after July 1, 2026) — Workers who suffer permanent total disability due to a work-related injury or illness on or after July 1, 2026, will receive higher wage replacement percentages based on family size, and their health care benefits will be covered at 100% if the employer stops paying them after injury.
- Workers with permanent total disability (injuries before July 1, 2026) — Workers who suffered permanent total disability before July 1, 2026, continue to receive benefits under the older, lower benefit formulas based on their marital and child status at the time of injury.
- Spouses of disabled workers — Spouses of injured workers may be affected if both are disabled workers — only the higher-earning spouse can claim children for benefit calculation purposes.
- Workers requiring attendant care — Workers who need daily assistance due to severe physical limitations from a work injury will receive separate monthly payments for an attendant, unless they are already receiving care under other state programs.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Workers with permanent total disability on or after July 1, 2026 receive 100% health care coverage if their employer stops paying — preventing medical debt and ensuring continuity of care for catastrophic injuries, which is critical for long-term recovery and preventing secondary complications.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(a)Wage replacement percentages are now explicitly tied to family size, with up to 75% for workers with five or more children — significantly improving economic security for large families where a disabled worker’s income loss would otherwise cause deep poverty.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(b)Mandating separate monthly payments for attendant care ensures that workers with severe physical limitations receive necessary daily support — reducing risk of institutionalization, hospital readmission, and public reliance on emergency services or Medicaid.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(4)Allowing full benefits for a subsequent permanent total disability — even after a prior lump-sum settlement — prevents workers from being penalized for misfortune and ensures fair compensation for cumulative harm, especially important in high-risk occupations.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(5)The 2026 effective date gives employers and the Department of Labor & Industries time to adjust systems and budgets — reducing implementation risk and allowing for smoother transition compared to immediate retroactive application.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 2 & Sec. 3
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill increases state workers’ compensation fund costs by raising wage replacement percentages for new claims (from 60–70% to 60–75%) and mandating 100% health care coverage when employers stop paying — but the fiscal impact is unspecified and could strain the fund, potentially leading to higher employer premiums over time that may be passed on to workers through lower wages or reduced hiring.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(1)(b)Workers injured before July 1, 2026 are permanently locked into lower benefit formulas (e.g., 65% for married without children vs. 60% for new claims), creating a two-tiered system that discriminates based solely on injury date — even if two workers suffer identical disabilities, their benefits differ based on timing.
Rights & LibertiesLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(2)–(l); Sec. 1(1)(b)The rule that only the higher-earning spouse may claim children for benefit calculation purposes may disadvantage lower-earning spouses (often women or part-time workers) who are primary caregivers, reducing household benefit eligibility even when both are disabled workers.
Rights & LibertiesLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(3)The minimum benefit floor (15% of state average wage + $10 per child) may not keep pace with inflation or rising living costs, especially for workers with many children in high-cost areas — effectively capping real-term benefits and eroding purchasing power over time.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(6)(b)The provision denying benefits to workers deemed “voluntarily retired” may disproportionately affect older workers with disabilities who are forced into early retirement due to injury but lack other income sources — creating a punitive eligibility gate that assumes voluntary unemployment.
Rights & LibertiesLean peopleRef: Sec. 1(7)
Who Is Most Affected
Workers with catastrophic, career-ending injuries on or after July 1, 2026 will receive significantly higher income and health coverage — reducing poverty risk and enabling greater independence. However, those injured before that date are excluded from the improved formulas, creating inequity.
Workers injured before July 1, 2026 receive no benefit increase and remain on older, lower formulas — effectively penalized for timing of injury. This group may see relative decline in real value of benefits due to inflation.
Employers (especially in high-risk industries like construction, logging, and manufacturing) may face higher workers’ compensation premiums over time due to increased benefit payouts, though the impact is likely modest given the fund’s solvency and risk-pooling. Small employers may feel the burden more acutely.
Spouses of disabled workers may benefit from increased household income and health coverage, but the rule that only the higher-earning spouse can claim children may disadvantage lower-earning spouses — especially women and part-time workers — in benefit calculation.
Workers requiring daily assistance (e.g., due to spinal cord injury, amputation, or severe neurological impairment) gain financial access to attendants — reducing reliance on family caregivers and preventing institutionalization. However, those already in Medicaid-funded long-term care may not receive duplicate payments.