ATLANTA – State Representative Mandisha A. Thomas (D-South Fulton) commends Governor Brian Kemp for signing House Bill 480 into law on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas, HB 480 increases workers’ compensation in state law, as well as the maximum total workers’ compensation that can be paid to a surviving spouse after their spouse dies.
“I want to commend Governor Brian Kemp for recognizing how important House Bill 480 will be for families who are unable to pay the bills due to a work-related injury,” said Rep. Thomas. “These changes to our state law will provide greater support for workers and their families who have been impacted by work-related injuries or fatalities, and I want to thank Representative Lehman Franklin for working so hard to pass this legislation.”
Introduced by Rep. Lehman Franklin (R-Statesboro), House Bill 480 will raise the maximum weekly amount of temporary total disability of workers’ compensation in state law to $800. The maximum weekly amount of temporary partial disability of workers’ compensation will also increase to $533, and the maximum total workers’ compensation that can be paid to a surviving spouse after their spouse dies will increase to $320,000.
Additionally, the bill establishes requirements for claiming workers’ compensation in cases where there is not a surviving spouse. The person making the claim will be required to prove that they received economic support from the deceased employee, including monetary support, food or housing. The compensation will be terminated if the surviving spouse remarries or is in a relationship similar to a marriage. No consideration will be made for payments of financial support that are less than a period of three months.
The effective date of the bill is July 1, 2023, and will apply to injuries that occur on or after that date.
Representative Mandisha A. Thomas represents the citizens of District 65, which includes portions of Coweta, Douglas and Fulton counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications and Industry and Labor committees.
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