SB 408 revises Indiana’s workers’ compensation and occupational disease compensation schedules by increasing benefit amounts for injuries and disablements occurring on or after July 1, 2025. The bill raises the dollar values used to calculate permanent partial impairment awards, increases the maximum weekly wage caps used in benefit calculations, and increases the overall maximum compensation payable in a case. It also extends a series of annual increases through July 1, 2030, replacing the smaller increases in current law with larger scheduled adjustments.
The bill amends multiple sections of the Indiana Code governing both accidental workplace injuries and occupational diseases. In addition to updating compensation tables, it adjusts the wage caps and maximum benefit limits that apply to temporary and permanent disability claims, and it carries those changes through the occupational disease provisions as well. The bill is effective July 1, 2025, and would apply prospectively to injuries and disablements occurring on or after the specified dates.
Impact
SB 408 would directly amend IC 22-3, Indiana’s workers’ compensation and occupational disease statutes, by increasing scheduled benefit amounts, wage ceilings, and maximum compensation limits for future claims. The practical effect is to raise indemnity payments for injured workers and workers disabled by occupational disease, while increasing potential liability for employers and workers’ compensation insurers. It also updates the statutory tables used by the Workers’ Compensation Board and changes the benchmark amounts used to calculate awards over several future years.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded floor debate, so there is no documented public sentiment from legislative discussion in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a benefit-increasing workers’ compensation proposal intended to keep awards aligned with higher wage and compensation levels over time. Because it raises employer and insurer costs while improving worker benefits, it would typically be expected to draw support from labor and worker advocates and more cautious scrutiny from business and insurance interests.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the size and pace of the benefit increases. Supporters would view the bill as a needed update to ensure injured workers and occupational disease claimants receive more adequate compensation, especially given inflation and wage growth. Opponents or cautious stakeholders may argue that the higher weekly wage caps, larger impairment values, and higher maximum awards increase costs for employers and insurers and could affect premiums. The bill also contains technical amendments to multiple statutory tables, and the introduced text includes several apparent drafting inconsistencies in the numeric updates, which could be a focus for amendment or clarification.