National – The U.S. Department of Labor will honor workers who lost their lives on the job through national Workers Memorial ceremonies on April 23, hosted by OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Families of fallen workers from across the country are invited to attend the ceremony in Washington, D.C. The program will feature a wreath-laying ceremony and OSHA’s first-ever candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, with events livestreamed for remote participants. The memorial activities are part of a broader week of trainings, panels, and exhibits focused on workplace safety and prevention ahead of Workers Memorial Day on April 28.
Maryland – SB 449 passed the House this week and is on its way to the Governor’s desk. As a reminder, SB 449 aims to extend heart disease and hypertension presumptions to correctional officers in Carroll County. Specifically, this bill expands Maryland’s workers’ compensation presumption for occupational diseases to include Carroll County correctional deputies who suffer from heart disease or hypertension, provided certain statutory conditions are met.
Nebraska – Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 455 into law, a bill that strengthens protections for the confidentiality of injured workers’ personal information. Specifically, the legislation prohibits the Workers’ Compensation Court from disclosing an injured worker’s name, address, telephone number, or email address for 60 days after an injury report is filed, unless the injured worker waives confidentiality.
Tennessee – This week, the Fair RX Act passed the Senate. SB 2040 and HB 1959 are companion bills which are identical legislation introduced in both chambers, though the House bill remains under consideration in the House. The legislation would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning or controlling pharmacies beginning January 1, 2027, aiming to reduce conflicts of interest and safeguard patient access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. It requires annual disclosure of pharmacy ownership and control, including targeted exemptions for certain hospital and health-system pharmacies, and protects independent pharmacies that offer mail-order, specialty, or delivery services. PBM-affiliated pharmacies may continue operating through 2026 if they are actively pursuing a sale to unaffiliated entities, with the possibility of extensions when meaningful progress is demonstrated. Enforcement authority rests with the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, with notification requirements for patients and providers, and the law also creates a limited-use pharmacy license for rare or FDA-designated drugs.
Vermont – S173 was referred to the Committee on Appropriations. As a reminder, S173 would allow injured workers to request vocational rehabilitation services if their employers do not provide them within 90 days of the worker being out of work. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Virginia – This week, Virginia joined a growing number of states with enforceable workplace heat standards after Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 288 and HB 1092 into law. These identical companion bills direct the Safety and Health Codes Board and the Department of Labor and Industry to adopt heat protection regulations by May 1, 2028. The regulations will require employers to implement heat illness prevention plans, including provisions for access to water, shade, rest periods, acclimatization, and training on heat illness prevention.
Virginia’s Governor enacted HB 1313 earlier this week. As a reminder, HB 1313 aims to provide workers’ compensation coverage for the exacerbation of preexisting mental health conditions, even without an accompanying physical injury, for law enforcement officers and firefighters. Specifically, the bill clarifies coverage for mental health claims includes the worsening of a preexisting disorder.
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