JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) - An audit came out earlier in January showed Missouri’s Second Injury Fund Missouri’s is insolvent, owing nearly ten times the amount of
money it has. Now lawmakers are moving to solve that problem.

St. Charles area Senator Scott Rupp says the fund should be re-worked into the state’s workers compensation system. In order to pay off the $28 million it owes to claimants, Rupp says companies should buck up a little more money. The fund is built on a three percent surcharge employers pay on their workers compensation insurance. Rupp says if that were bumped up to 6 percent, the fund would be able to pay out all the claims it owes now.

“If someone is hurt on the job, it is the employers liability,” he said.

Rupp’s bill would eliminate some qualifiers for this type of compensation, so some people would no longer be covered.  Rupp says he expects action on the measure very soon.