JEFFERSON CITY — A bill filed in the Missouri Senate that would change the state’s workers’ compensation system today (3/7) moves one step closer to the legislative finish line.  Senate Bill 572, sponsored by the Senate Majority Floor Leader, addresses protections for co-employees who are at risk of personal lawsuits for their role in honest accidents at work, among other provisions.

The state’s workers’ compensation law provides certain benefits to workers who have been injured on the job or been exposed to occupational disease as a result of their job.  The act would make occupational diseases exclusively covered under Missouri’s workers’ compensation law, including toxic exposure that causes health-related illness or death to workers.

Also, SB 572 would release co-employees from all liability for workplace injuries and death due to accidents or occupational disease that result from the worker’s employment.  However, if the employee purposefully causes or increases the risk of workplace injury, he or she would not escape liability.

The bill states that all administrative remedies must be exhausted before civil actions involving injury or death filed by the employee can move forward.  In addition, the act would raise the death benefit for employees from $5,000 to $10,000.

In the Senate, lawmakers gave their first-round approval to several measures, including a bill that would bar entities that invest in Iran’s energy sector from contracting with the Missouri and its political subdivisions. 

More specifically, Senate Bill 722, sponsored by Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, would create the “Iran Energy Divestment Act,” which would bar those companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector from making contracts in excess of $1 million.  Entities that wish to make public contracts with the state must prove that they are not investing in this particular energy sector.  Those companies that falsely designate their investments (determined by the Missouri Attorney General) are subject to a $250,000 penalty, their contracts would be terminated and they would be ineligible to bid on and enter into public contracts for three years.

In addition, the Senate also gave its initial approval to other legislation, including:

• Senate Bill 635, which would repeal a provision in state law that allows certain securities to be acceptable collateral for public deposits depending on credit rating.
• Senate Bill 569, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would, as amended, remove a day in June as a date available for public elections, and make a date in February the only date bond elections can occur.  In addition, the bill would allow certain tax elections to be held at any time.
• Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, which urges Congress to support greater domestic development of North American sources of oil and approve the Keystone XL pipeline project.

For more information about bills moving through the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov.  To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or email: newsroom@senate.mo.gov.