Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation) in Michigan

in committee · Michigan · House Apr 28, 2026

HR 296: A resolution to urge the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and all those responsible for the safety of Michigan’s workers to do everything in their power to decrease workplace injuries and deaths and make worksites safer for all hardworking Michiganders.

This bill is a non-binding resolution that urges state and federal agencies to prioritize reducing workplace injuries and deaths in Michigan. It calls on the Michigan Department of Labor, the state and federal occupational safety organizations, and other responsible parties to take all necessary actions to improve worksite safety. The resolution cites statistics on annual workplace fatalities and emphasizes the importance of protecting workers while honoring those who have been injured or killed on the job.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation Workplace Safety

in committee · Michigan · House May 13, 2026

HB 5952: Worker's compensation: benefits; post-traumatic stress disorder injury fund; create. Amends 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.101 - 418.941) by adding sec. 409.

This bill creates a new Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Fund within the state treasury to provide financial support for workers' compensation claims related to PTSD. The legislation establishes the fund's management structure, allowing the state treasurer to invest assets and the director to oversee audits and expenditures for approved claims and administrative costs. It mandates that any unpaid claims be prioritized for payment if the fund runs low and requires the director to notify the legislature if the money is projected to be insufficient within 60 days. Additionally, the bill mandates annual and quarterly reports to the legislature detailing claim statistics, payment amounts, and future cost estimates.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation Veteran Mental Health

in committee · Michigan · House May 13, 2026

HB 5953: Worker's compensation: disabilities; presumption of causation of post-traumatic stress disorder; provide for certain occupations and allow for claims against post-traumatic stress injury fund. Amends 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.101 - 418.941) by adding sec. 407. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5952'26

This bill creates a new Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Fund to provide disability benefits to specific first responders and public safety workers who develop PTSD from work-related traumatic events. It allows eligible individuals, such as firefighters, police officers, and 911 dispatchers with at least five years of service, to suspend claims against their employers and instead seek compensation from the fund if they meet the criteria. The legislation establishes a legal presumption that the PTSD arose from employment, which can only be overturned by clear and convincing medical evidence proving non-work-related causes or an incorrect diagnosis. Additionally, the bill sets strict timelines for processing claims, requiring hearings within 90 days and decisions within 30 days, while also defining which high-stress situations qualify as traumatic events.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Feb 24, 2026

HB 5541: Worker's compensation: benefits; calculation of average weekly wage; modify. Amends sec. 371 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.371) & adds sec. 612.

HB 5541 modifies Michigan's worker's compensation law to change how overtime pay is counted for calculating average weekly wage for injured workers at small businesses (employers with 50 or fewer employees). Instead of counting overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate, the bill requires using the regular hourly rate for overtime hours, which lowers the average weekly wage and reduces both benefits for injured workers and employer insurance premiums. Insurers must apply the lower premium rate if this change results in a reduced cost, and the provision expires December 31, 2028. This affects small business employers, their injured employees, and worker's compensation insurers.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Nov 4, 2025

HB 5191: Worker's compensation: funds; uninsured employer's security fund; modify. Amends sec. 501 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.501) & adds sec. 536.

HB 5191 modifies Michigan's worker's compensation law to strengthen the Uninsured Employer's Security Fund. The fund will pay benefits to workers injured by uninsured employers, effective from the bill's implementation date. It can later seek reimbursement from those employers for up to three times the benefits paid plus administrative costs, and impose fines of up to $10,000 for failing to provide required business records. This directly affects injured workers and uninsured employers who must repay the fund.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Nov 4, 2025

HB 5184: Worker's compensation: benefits; deadline to pay compensation benefits; modify to 14 days after compensation becomes due and payable, and modify daily charge and interest amounts for noncompliance. Amends sec. 801 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.801).

HB 5184 shortens the deadline for employers and insurers to pay worker's compensation benefits from 30 days to 14 days after benefits become due. It also increases the daily penalty for late payments from $50 to $100 per day (capped at $25,000 total), applies to both wage benefits and medical/travel costs, and requires interest on delayed payments at 10% annually. This directly affects workers receiving compensation and employers/carriers responsible for timely payments. The bill aims to accelerate benefit delivery and strengthen penalties for noncompliance under Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Nov 4, 2025

HB 5187: Worker's compensation: benefits; an employer's or carrier's ability to recoup an overpayment of benefits; provide conditions for. Amends sec. 833 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.833).

HB 5187 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act to clarify when employers or insurance carriers can recoup overpaid benefits to injured workers. It limits recoupment to benefits paid within the past year and requires carriers to prove specific conditions (like employee concealment of earnings or clerical errors) before demanding repayment. The bill also caps recoupment at 50% of weekly benefits for clerical errors and prohibits recoupment if employers unreasonably change their position on a worker's disability. Magistrates may waive recoupment if it causes undue harm to the injured worker.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Nov 4, 2025

HB 5181: Worker's compensation: mediation; requirement to mediate certain claims for benefits; restore. Amends sec. 847 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.847) & adds sec. 224.

HB 5181 requires mediation for specific worker's compensation claims before they proceed to formal hearings. It applies directly to workers filing claims for medical benefits only, claims where the worker has returned to work, or claims without an attorney, as well as cases the agency identifies as suitable for mediation. The bill mandates that the agency schedules mediation meetings, provides claimants with clear benefit estimates, and explains their rights before the session. Unresolved claims under $10,000 must go to a small claims division, while larger claims go to a magistrate. Failure to participate in required mediation prevents a party from moving forward with their claim.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · House Aug 14, 2025

HB 4764: Worker's compensation: benefits; presumption of certain injuries and coverage under the Christopher R. Slezak first responder presumed coverage fund; modify to include certain medical examiners. Amends sec. 405 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.405).

HB 4764 expands eligibility for the Christopher R. Slezak first responder presumed coverage fund to include full-time, part-time, and on-call county medical examiners, deputy medical examiners, and medical examiner investigators. It presumes that certain cancers (including respiratory, skin, breast, and prostate cancers) are work-related for these medical examiners if they have 60+ months of service and were exposed to fire/rescue hazards during their duties. This shifts claims from employers to the special fund, requiring medical examiners to suspend employer claims while receiving benefits from the fund. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, and applies only to cancer diagnoses after that date. The bill does not alter existing coverage for firefighters, police, or other first responders.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Michigan · Senate Feb 11, 2025

SB 74: Worker's compensation: benefits; worker's disability compensation benefits; modify various provisions. Amends secs. 301, 313, 354, 355, 361, 371, 401 & 891 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.301 et seq.) & repeals secs. 302 & 431 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.302 & 418.431).

SB 74 amends Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act to clarify how workplace injuries and disabilities are defined and compensated. It specifically modifies rules for mental health conditions (requiring a link to actual work events, not perceptions), refines the definition of "disability" as a limitation in wage-earning capacity, and requires employees to demonstrate good-faith job searches when claiming partial disability. The bill shifts the burden of proof to employers after an employee establishes initial disability, requiring employers to provide evidence to refute claims. These changes directly affect Michigan workers injured on the job and their employers in determining compensation eligibility and benefit amounts.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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