Workers’ Compensation Reciprocity Law Takes Effect July 1
The Florida legislature passed HB 723 during the 2011 legislative session relating to reciprocity of workers’ compensation claims. Governor Rick Scott has signed the bill into law, and the new law takes effect July 1, 2011. By its terms, the law applies to any claim made on or after July 1, 2011, regardless of the date of the accident.
The new law provides that if an employee in Florida leaves this state incidental to his or her employment and receives an accidental injury in connection with the employment, the employee is entitled to the benefits of Florida’s workers’ compensation law. Conversely, the new law exempts from Florida workers’ compensation laws the employee and employer of another state if an employee from another state is temporarily in Florida doing work for the employer.
The law seeks to address situations such as professional athletics wherein persons predominantly employed in one state become injured in another state and seek to avoid application of the home state’s workers’ compensation laws.