Worker's compensation: benefits; compensation for death resulting from personal injury; modify. Amends secs. 321, 331, 335, 345 & 356 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.321 et seq.).

SB 1080 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act to update how death benefits are calculated and distributed to employees' dependents. The bill clarifies that a spouse living with the deceased employee is presumed wholly dependent for the first 208 weeks, after which dependency is determined based on actual financial need. It also adjusts rules for children, ensuring those under 16 or those who are physically or mentally incapacitated are presumed wholly dependent regardless of who they live with. Additionally, the legislation specifies how death benefits are divided among multiple dependents, prioritizing wholly dependent individuals over partially dependent ones and directing funds for children to their guardians if the surviving spouse is not properly caring for them. These changes aim to streamline the process for families receiving compensation when a worker dies due to a work-related injury.