The Assembly Labor Committee unanimously voted out of committee A5198 (Sampson), which would adjust compensation rates for board and lodging in workers’ compensation claims. The New Jersey State Bar Association-drafted bill amends the rate from $25 to market value, marking the first time the rate has been changed in almost 60 years.
The bill proposes to amend the compensation rate to market value unless there exists an agreement between the parties at the time of hiring. If signed into law, this would mark the first adjustment since 1966 when the rate was changed from $8 per week to $25 per week.
The Senate bill, S3772 (Lagana), was voted out of the Senate Labor Committee last month and is pending in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The NJSBA will continue to monitor this bill.