SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1418        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Joan B. Lovely

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to workers’ compensation funeral benefits.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1418        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1202 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act relative to workers’ compensation funeral benefits.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 152 of the General Laws is hereby amended in section 33 by striking, the following: "In all cases, the insurer shall pay the reasonable expenses of burial, not exceeding eight times the average weekly wage in the Commonwealth as determined pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 29 of Chapter 151A" and inserting in its place the following:-

“Reimbursable final disposition expenses shall include funeral and memorial related expenses associated with unplanned death, including but not limited to funeral visitation services, purchase of interment space, burial services, flowers, casket, death notices and headstone, up to twenty-five thousand dollars or 10 times the average weekly wage, whichever is greater."