(HARRISBURG) – Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 147 sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) that would help to prevent opioid addiction by encouraging employers to provide employees with information about the risks associated with opioid use.
Act 57 of 2021 amends the Workers Compensation Act to require employers who have a certified safety committee as part of their workers’ compensation program to include information about the risks associated with the use of opioids.
Currently, employers may receive a discount of 5% on their workers’ compensation insurance premium if they establish a certified safety committee within their workplace. Safety committees are to be developed for the purpose of hazard detection and accident protection. An employer must provide annual verification to the Department of Labor and Industry that the safety committee continues to operate and meet the certification requirements.
Under Act 57, an employer would need to share material with employees about the risks associated with the use of opioids as part of their safety committee in order to be certified and receive the discount.
“We must continue to be vigilant in addressing our serious heroin and opioid epidemic,” Langerholc said. “This legislation is another step forward in our multi-faceted approach addressing the heroin and opioid epidemic that has scourged communities across the Keystone State.”
The bill received unanimous support from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando, 717-787-5400