Today, House Bill 82 was filed for a second reading. This proposed legislation would align the workers compensation laws in the state so that postsecondary students receive the same workers compensation coverage that K-12 students receive while completing work experience credit hours. Under current Idaho law, postsecondary students receiving education credits for completing a work experience project are not covered under the university or college worker’s compensation policy with the State Insurance Fund.
Idaho Code also does not allow the universities or college to purchase separate private workers compensation policies for students in these situations leaving the students without any form of coverage while working on behalf of the institution. These changes modify the existing statutes to allow a university or college to purchase coverage for students through the State Insurance Fund.