DOL Proposes Rule Clarifying Exclusions Of Certain Workers Claiming LHWCA Benefits

The Labor Department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is proposing a rule that would clarify new language in the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act determining whether certain workers on recreational vessels qualify for benefits under the act, according to a notice slated for publication in the Aug. 17 Federal Register.

The LHWCA was amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law last year, OWCP said. In particular, the law previously excluded from coverage “individuals employed to build, repair, or dismantle any recreational vessel under 65 feet in length.” The amended language changes that ...