Lawmakers Approve Broad Presumption Bill but Give Some Employers a Defense

A bill that would provide a COVID-19 workers' compensation presumption to sickened frontline workers is on its way to the governor after it was approved by lawmakers on Friday. Senate Bill 342 covers most first responders, health workers, correctional officers and other essential workers in the coronavirus pandemic, as well as those the state Workers' Compensation Commission determines are at elevated risk of exposure. For other workers, the measure gives employers a strong defense if they can show that the business followed federal and state virus safety guidelines. The bill, if sig...