Michigan Senate Bill SB0075

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/11/25
• Refer: 2/11/25

Caption

Worker's compensation: benefits; compensation for death resulting from personal injury; modify. Amends secs. 321, 331, 335, 345 & 356 of 1969 PA 317 (MCL 418.321 et seq.).

Summary

Senate Bill 75 would amend Michigan’s Workers’ Disability Compensation Act to revise several death-benefit and related compensation provisions. The bill updates dependency rules for death benefits, including the duration of presumed dependency for spouses and children, the age thresholds for child dependency, and how benefits are divided among wholly and partially dependent survivors. It also changes the remarriage provision for a dependent spouse and adjusts the age references and terminology throughout the statute to use more modern, gender-neutral language. The bill would also increase the maximum funeral and burial expense benefit payable when an employee dies from a work-related injury, raising the cap from $6,000 to $12,000 or the actual cost, whichever is less. In addition, it revises section 356 governing benefit adjustments for certain injured employees with low initial compensation rates, while preserving the existing structure that allows a magistrate to increase benefits after two years of continuous disability based on evidence of earning capacity. The bill keeps the second injury fund reimbursement framework in place for those adjustments. Overall, the bill’s impact would be to expand and modernize death-related workers’ compensation benefits in Michigan, especially for surviving dependents and for funeral expenses. It would affect employers, insurers, self-insurers, dependents of deceased workers, and workers’ compensation magistrates who administer and adjudicate claims. The bill also updates statutory language and cross-references in the workers’ compensation code, which would require conforming changes in administration and claims handling. The available context shows no recorded committee testimony or vote history, so there is no documented public debate in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the general policy direction appears to be benefit expansion and statutory cleanup rather than restriction. The main likely point of contention would be the increased cost to employers and insurers from higher death-related payouts and funeral expense limits, along with the broader effect of extending or clarifying dependency benefits for surviving spouses and children.

Impact

SB 75 would amend multiple sections of Michigan’s Workers’ Disability Compensation Act, changing how death benefits are calculated and paid, how dependency is defined, and how long certain benefits continue. It would raise the funeral and burial expense cap, update age and dependency rules for spouses and children, and revise benefit-adjustment provisions for certain injured workers. These changes would directly affect employers, carriers, self-insurers, surviving dependents, and workers’ compensation magistrates administering claims under MCL 418.321, 418.331, 418.335, 418.345, and 418.356.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the supplied materials. From the bill text alone, the measure appears generally supportive of injured workers’ families and surviving dependents, with a policy emphasis on updating and increasing benefits. The likely overall tone is favorable toward benefit expansion, though the fiscal impact on employers and insurers could generate opposition.

Contention

The most likely area of contention is cost: the bill increases the funeral and burial benefit cap and may extend or clarify death-benefit obligations, which would raise liabilities for employers, insurers, and self-insured entities. Another possible point of debate is the revised dependency framework, including the age thresholds and duration of presumed dependency for spouses and children, which could affect who qualifies for benefits and for how long. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided record.