JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster has thanked Gov. Jay Nixon for signing a bill into law that provides a temporary surcharge increase to address a shortfall in the Second Injury Fund.
The provisions of Senate Bill 1 will start to take effect on Jan. 1. As a result, the Second Injury Fund will start to see increased revenue from the added surcharge the following April, at the end of the first quarter of the year.
"I appreciate Governor Nixon's careful review of the Second Injury Fund bill, and his decision to sign the bill into law," Koster said. "The insolvency of the fund means that the state has been unable to pay more than 1,380 Missourians the awards to which they are entitled, totaling over $32 million. This law allows the state to begin the process of providing relief to these injured workers."
Because the fund will not receive increased revenue until the bill's provisions take effect, the state will continue to manage withheld awards for some amount of time.
Koster praised the sponsors of the bill, Sen. Scott Rupp (R-2nd) and Rep. Todd Richardson (R-154th), for their dedication during the 2013 legislative session to come to a bipartisan agreement on the bill.
Mo. AG praises passage of bill to strengthen Second Injury Fund
