Workers' compensation

AN ACT Relating to workers' compensation benefits; amending RCW 1
51.32.060; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 51.32.060 and 2025 c 168 s 2 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) For claims with a date of injury or disease manifestation on 6
or after July 1, 2026, when the supervisor of industrial insurance 7
shall determine that permanent total disability results from the 8
injury, the worker shall receive monthly during the period of such 9
disability, except as provided in RCW 51.32.010((, a)):10
(a) 100 percent of the employer's payment or contribution for 11
health care benefits, unless the employer continues ongoing and 12
current payment or contributions for these benefits at the same level 13
as provided at the time of injury; and14
(b) A percentage of the worker's wages, excluding the worker's 15
employer's payment or contribution for health care benefits, as 16
follows: 17
18
19
Worker's status Percentage of the
worker's wages
20 Unmarried with no children 60 percent
H-2779.1
HOUSE BILL 2372
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Salahuddin, Fosse, Berry, Reed, Leavitt, Doglio,
Zahn, Scott, Obras, and Pollet
Prefiled 01/09/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Labor & Workplace Standards.
p. 1 HB 2372
1 Unmarried with one child or married with no children 65 percent
2 Unmarried with two children or married with one child 67 percent
3 Unmarried with three children or married with two children 69 percent
4 Unmarried with four children or married with three children 71 percent
5 Unmarried with five children or married with four children 73 percent
6 Unmarried with six or more children or married with five or more children 75 percent
(2) For claims with a date of injury or disease manifestation 7
before July 1, 2026, when the supervisor of industrial insurance 8
shall determine that permanent total disability results from the 9
injury, the worker shall receive monthly during the period of such 10
disability: 11
(a) If married at the time of injury, sixty -five percent of his 12
or her wages. 13
(b) If married with one child at the time of injury, sixty -seven 14
percent of his or her wages. 15
(c) If married with two children at the time of injury, 16
sixty-nine percent of his or her wages. 17
(d) If married with three children at the time of injury, 18
seventy-one percent of his or her wages. 19
(e) If married with four children at the time of injury, 20
seventy-three percent of his or her wages. 21
(f) If married with five or more children at the time of injury, 22
seventy-five percent of his or her wages. 23
(g) If unmarried at the time of the injury, sixty percent of his 24
or her wages. 25
(h) If unmarried with one child at the time of injury, sixty -two 26
percent of his or her wages. 27
(i) If unmarried with two children at the time of injury, 28
sixty-four percent of his or her wages. 29
(j) If unmarried with three children at the time of injury, 30
sixty-six percent of his or her wages. 31
(k) If unmarried with four children at the time of injury, 32
sixty-eight percent of his or her wages. 33
(l) If unmarried with five or more children at the time of 34
injury, seventy percent of his or her wages. 35
(3) For any period of time where both spouses are entitled to 36
compensation as temporarily or totally disabled workers, only that 37
p. 2 HB 2372
spouse having the higher wages of the two shall be entitled to claim 1
their child or children for compensation purposes. 2
(4) In case of permanent total disability, if the character of 3
the injury is such as to render the worker so physically helpless as 4
to require the hiring of the services of an attendant, the department 5
shall make monthly payments to such attendant for such services as 6
long as such requirement continues, but such payments shall not 7
obtain or be operative while the worker is receiving care under or 8
pursuant to the provisions of chapter 51.36 RCW and RCW 51.04.105.9
(5) Should any further accident result in the permanent total 10
disability of an injured worker, the injured worker shall receive the 11
pension to which the injured worker would be entitled, 12
notwithstanding the payment of a lump sum for the injured worker's 13
prior injury. 14
(6) In no event shall the monthly payments provided in this 15
section: 16
(a) Exceed the applicable percentage of the average monthly wage 17
in the state as computed under the provisions of RCW 51.08.018 as 18
follows: 19
20 AFTER PERCENTAGE
21 June 30, 1993 105%
22 June 30, 1994 110%
23 June 30, 1995 115%
24 June 30, 1996 120%
(b) For dates of injury or disease manifestation after July 1, 25
2008, be less than fifteen percent of the average monthly wage in the 26
state as computed under RCW 51.08.018 plus an additional ten dollars 27
per month if a worker is married and an additional ten dollars per 28
month for each child of the worker up to a maximum of five children 29
for claims with a date of injury or disease manifestation before July 30
1, 2026, and six children for claims with a date of injury or disease 31
manifestation on or after July 1, 2026. However, if the monthly 32
payment computed under this subsection (6)(b) is greater than one 33
hundred percent of the wages of the worker as determined under RCW 34
51.08.178, the monthly payment due to the worker shall be equal to 35
the greater of the monthly wages of the worker or the minimum benefit 36
set forth in this section on June 30, 2008. 37
p. 3 HB 2372
The limitations under this subsection shall not apply to the 1
payments provided for in subsection (4) of this section.2
(7) In the case of new or reopened claims, if the supervisor of 3
industrial insurance determines that, at the time of filing or 4
reopening, the worker is voluntarily retired and is no longer 5
attached to the workforce, benefits shall not be paid under this 6
section. 7
(8) The benefits provided by this section are subject to 8
modification under RCW 51.32.067. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act applies to claims with a date of 10
injury or disease manifestation on or after July 1, 2026.11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.12
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