State of the States November 21, 2025

National: Kids’ Chance of America (KCOA) partnered with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) to provide grief support alongside its scholarship program for students whose parents have been fatally or critically injured at work. Through this collaboration, KCOA recipients will gain access to NACG’s nationwide network and online resource library, ensuring emotional care complements financial assistance. 

National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) published its latest Insights Brief summarizing findings from its 25th Annual Carrier Executive Survey. The survey gathered input from more than 100 insurance executives and highlights the issues shaping the future of workers’ compensation. Despite ongoing rate declines, the system continues to perform strongly, with combined ratios projected to remain below 100%.  

Florida: State Senator Jennifer Bradley (R) introduced SB 330, titled “Disability Provisions for Firefighters and Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers,” which seeks to strengthen the occupational disease presumption for first responders. The bill defines key terms such as “employing agency” and “heart disease,” updates related definitions in Florida statutes, and clarifies that a pre-employment physical examination, even one conducted by a former employer, can be used to establish the presumption for work-related conditions like tuberculosis, heart disease, or hypertension when the current employer did not require its own exam.

Pennsylvania: The PA Supreme Court heard oral arguments via live stream regarding Federated Insurance Company v. Summit Pharmacy. Appellant was represented by Daniel Siegel and Clifford Goldstein represented the appellee. The arguments lasted around 50 minutes. 

Texas: The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation proposed amendments to Sections 128.3, 128.5, 128.6, and 128.7 of the 28 TAC. These changes:

• • • Correct obsolete references and revise text for clarity, plain-language, and agency style; 
    • Specifically expand Section 128.5 to clarify the process insurers must follow to request wage information from seasonal workers and to seek adjustments to their average weekly wage (AWW) calculations; 
    • Ensure the amended rule text aligns with the procedures for carriers to obtain necessary documentation and support more consistent AWW determinations. 

Wisconsin: Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released a study revealing medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Wisconsin grew by an average of 6% annually from 2021 to 2023, following years of modest increases. The report, CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 2025 Edition, compares Wisconsin’s system to 17 other states and analyzes trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical care.  

Wyoming: Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon approved a 15% decrease in workers’ compensation base rates, effective for policies starting in 2026. This marks the third consecutive year of reductions. 

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