Tuesday, April 28, 2020

SENATE BILL S.342 PASSES SENATE, SENT TO HOUSE


S.342, entitled "An act relating to temporary workers' compensation amendments related to COVID-19", passed the Vermont Senate on Monday, April 27, 2020.  The bill was introduced by the Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs.  

The bill allows the Commissioner to have authority to issue guidance and adopt procedures to extend deadlines or temporarily amend or waive specific requirements of 21 V.S.A. Chapter 9 (the Workers' Compensation Act) and the rules adopted pursuant to that chapter.  The emergency guidance/procedures are effective while Vermont's declared state of emergency lasts and will transition back to the pre-existing rules within 45 days from the end of the state of emergency.  

Most importantly, the bill provides that in the case of a front-line worker, disability or death resulting from COVID-19 shall be presumed to be compensable under the Workers' Compensation Act, provided that the front-line worker receives a positive lab test or diagnosis by a licensed healthcare provider for COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and January 15, 2021.  

A "front-line worker" is defined as a: firefighter; law enforcement officer; ambulance service, EMT personnel, first responder, or volunteer; worker in a health care facility or institution or office where health care services are provided by licensed healthcare professionals; correctional officer; worker in a long-term care facility or residential care facility; childcare provider required to provide childcare to the children of other front-line workers; employee of a pharmacy or grocery store; home health care worker or personal care attendant; and "a worker performing services that the Commissioner determines place the worker at a similarly elevated risk of being exposed or contracting COVID-19 as the other occupations listed in this subsection (a)."

There is also a presumption of compensability for disability or death resulting from COVID-19 for a non-front-line worker if the worker has a positive laboratory test or diagnosis by a licensed health care provider for COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and January 15, 2021 AND either: had documented occupational exposure in the course of employment to an individual with COVID-19; or performed services at a residence or facility with residents or employees who were present at the time that the services were performed and either had COVID-19 at that time or were diagnosed with COVID-19 within a reasonable period of time after the services were performed.

The presumption for both front-line workers and non-front-line workers does not apply if it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the disease was caused by non-employment-connected risk factors or non-employment-connected exposure.  Further, the presumption of compensability does not apply if the employer offers a COVID-19 vaccine that is refused by a worker who is subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19.

S.342 was sent to the Vermont House on Monday, April 27, 2020.  We will be following this story and will update here when we receive further information.

A link to the Vermont Legislature's page for S.342 follows: