MO HB1173

Employers and their employees are released from all liability for injuries or deaths compensable under workers' compensation law, with the employee's statutory remedies being exclusive.

Employers must increase compensation and death benefits by 15% if the injury is caused by the employer's failure to comply with state statutes or lawful orders from the division or commission.

Compensation and death benefits may be reduced 25-50% if an employee fails to use provided safety devices or obey reasonable safety rules with actual knowledge of the rule and reasonable employer enforcement efforts.

Benefits are reduced by 50% if injury involves violation of the employer's drug-free workplace policy, and are forfeited entirely if alcohol or controlled drug use is the proximate cause of the injury; refusal to submit to testing also results in forfeiture if the employer had reasonable suspicion or a clear testing policy.

Mental injuries from work-related stress do not qualify for benefits unless the stress is work-related and extraordinary and unusual, except firefighters retain their psychological stress benefits under existing law; mental injuries from disciplinary actions, evaluations, transfers, layoffs, demotions, or terminations taken in good faith by the employer do not qualify.