House Study Bill 247 HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON LABOR BILL BY CHAIRPERSON OLSON) Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act requiring additional workers' compensation payments for 2 scheduled injuries that result in a reduction in the injured 3 employee's earning capacity. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1884HC 83 6 av/rj/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 85.34, subsection 2, Code 2009, is 1 2 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 1 3 NEW PARAGRAPH. w. If an employee sustains an injury 1 4 described in paragraphs "a" through "t" and is unable to 1 5 return to employment providing substantially similar earnings 1 6 to the earnings provided in the employment in which the 1 7 employee was engaged at the time of the injury, compensation 1 8 shall be paid during the number of weeks in relation to five 1 9 hundred weeks as the reduction in the employee's earning 1 10 capacity bears in relation to the earning capacity that the 1 11 employee possessed when the injury occurred. If the employee 1 12 is permanently and totally disabled as a result of such an 1 13 injury the employee may be entitled to benefits under 1 14 subsection 3. 1 15 EXPLANATION 1 16 This bill amends Code section 85.34 to provide that for 1 17 purposes of workers' compensation, an employee who sustains a 1 18 scheduled injury and is unable to return to employment 1 19 providing substantially similar earnings to that of the 1 20 preinjury employment earning capacity, shall be paid 1 21 compensation during the number of weeks in relation to 500 1 22 weeks as the reduction in the employee's earning capacity 1 23 caused by the disability bears in relation to the earning 1 24 capacity that the employee possessed when the injury occurred. 1 25 LSB 1884HC 83 1 26 av/rj/14