Bill Seeks 450-Week Cap on Permanent Total Disability and Death Benefits

A bill that would have capped permanent total disability and death benefits at 450 weeks failed in the Senate on Thursday, but the House version, which was initially rejected, has passed the House and is recommended for passage in the Senate. HB 1586 proposes to limit PTD and death benefits to two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wage for a little less than nine years. It passed the House 68-19 on Feb. 27 after failing five days earlier by a 57-27 vote. Because Arkansas voters adopted the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act in a 1948 initiative, the law cannot be ...