Workers' Compensation Law; prohibit compensation when injury is caused by employee's willful breach of safety rule.

HB 635 would amend Mississippi's workers' compensation law to deny benefits if an employee's injury resulted from intentionally breaking a specific, reasonable safety rule they knew about. Employers would need to prove three things: the rule was written clearly, communicated to the employee before the injury, and directly related to preventing harm. This change would affect employees injured while violating known safety protocols, shifting the burden of proof to employers seeking to deny compensation. The bill, which died in committee in February 2026, does not change existing exceptions for drug use or self-harm.