Proposal To Amend Regulations on X

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a proposed release, which seeks to solicit public comments on its proposed rules and regulations. These new rules and regulations are intended to improve the fairness and accuracy of benefit determinations for American workers under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA). The proposed rules affect workers and employers filing claims for disability or death benefits under LHWCA. The rules proposed in the release focus on clarifying various legal issues related to maritime workers' compensation claims. This includes providing guidance regarding medical conditions that are considered to be permanent partial disabilities, the criteria used to determine disability awards, the duties of employers related to determining eligibility for benefits and payment procedures for service-connected disabilities and deaths. Additionally, the proposals address the administration of claims from self-insured employers under LHWCA. The public comment period for the proposed release will remain open until 60 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. During this period, interested parties are encouraged to submit their written comments on the proposed rules to the DOL administrator responsible for their particular subject matter. After consideration of the public comments, the DOL may modify or withdraw the proposal as it deems necessary. Following the close of the comment period, all comments will be made available to the public online.