JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers have approved a bill to put occupational diseases under the state’s workers’ compensation law.
House members voted 102-55 on Thursday to include diseases contracted on the job in the workers compensation system, with supporters saying that it will make the state more business-friendly by protecting employers from large lawsuits.
Critics of the bill say it will shortchange workers who contract terminal illnesses, like mesothelioma and black lung. They say those victims would likely receive little money from the workers’ compensation system before they die.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate.
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