Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation)

This bill exempts unpaid student interns from coverage under the state workers' compensation law. It directly affects students enrolled in secondary schools, charter schools, or cooperative educational services who participate in unpaid internship programs. The legislation defines a "student intern" as someone in an educational program whose work is primarily for training purposes and removes them from the legal definition of "employment" for compensation purposes. Consequently, these interns will not be eligible for workers' compensation benefits if they are injured while working, even though they are performing tasks for an employer. The change applies immediately upon enactment.

Provides the carrier or employer a credit against permanent partial disability benefits for temporary partial disability payments made in excess of 130 weeks.

Provides the carrier or employer a credit against permanent partial disability benefits for temporary partial disability payments made in excess of 130 weeks.

Exempts service as a farm laborer where such service is an internship granting college course credit from the definition of employee and employment for the purposes of certain workers' compensation benefits.

Permits an employer who is a member of a recognized religious sect to file an application with the department of labor to be exempted from the provisions of the workers' compensation law with respect to employees who are members of the same recognized religious sect whose religious tenets or teachings oppose acceptance of any insurance benefits.