Senate Passes Death Benefits Bill

The New York Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill allowing those entitled to death benefits to receive payments through direct deposit. The Senate voted 57-0 to pass S4467, which would expand the law allowing direct deposit of other workers' compensation benefits to include death benefits owed to a surviving spouse, domestic partner, dependent child or other beneficiaries. Employers or carriers that fail to enroll an eligible person in direct deposit within 25 days of receiving a request would be subject to a penalty of 25% of the compensation due per pay period, plus $300 f...