SLS 20RS-319 ORIGINAL 2020 Regular Session SENATE BILL NO. 240 BY SENATOR CONNICK WORKERS' COMPENSATION. Provides relative to benefits for permanent hearing loss. (8/1/20) 1 AN ACT 2 To amend and reenact R.S. 23:1221(4)(p), relative to workers' compensation; to provide for 3 disability benefits; to provide for disability benefits following permanent hearing 4 loss; to provide for terms and conditions; and to provide for related matters. 5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 6 Section 1. R.S. 23:1221(4)(p) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows 7 §1221. Temporary total disability; permanent total disability; supplemental earnings 8 benefits; permanent partial disability; schedule of payments 9 Compensation shall be paid under this Chapter in accordance with the 10 following schedule of payments: 11 * * * 12 (4) Permanent partial disability. In the following cases, compensation shall 13 be solely for anatomical loss of use or amputation and shall be as follows: 14 * * * 15 (p) In cases not falling within any of the provisions already made, where the 16 employee is seriously and permanently disfigured or suffers a permanent hearing loss 17 solely due to a single traumatic accident, or where the usefulness of the physical Page 1 of 2 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 240 SLS 20RS-319 ORIGINAL 1 function of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, or genito-urinary system, 2 as contained within the thoracic or abdominal cavities, is seriously and permanently 3 impaired, compensation not to exceed sixty-six and two-thirds percent of wages for 4 a period not to exceed one hundred weeks may be awarded. In cases where 5 compensation is so awarded, when the disability is susceptible to percentage 6 determination, compensation shall be established in the proportions set forth in 7 Subparagraph (o) of this Paragraph. In cases where compensation is so awarded, 8 when the disability is not susceptible to percentage determination, compensation as 9 is reasonable shall be established in proportion to the compensation hereinabove 10 specifically provided in the cases of specific disability. 11 * * * The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Yoursheka George. DIGEST SB 240 Original 2020 Regular Session Connick Present law provides compensation for an employee's permanent partial disability. Present law provides that compensation shall be paid to an employee who suffers permanent hearing loss solely due to a single traumatic accident. Proposed law removes from present law the requirement that an employee's permanent hearing loss be solely due to a single traumatic accident. Effective August 1, 2020. (Amends R.S. 23:1221(4)(p)) Page 2 of 2 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.