By Angela Childers

The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to require employers who have certified safety committees as part of their workers compensation programs to include information about the risks associated with opioid use.

S.B. 594, sponsored by Republican Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., would modify the Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Act to mandate that insured employers with established safety groups disseminate information, to be developed by the state’s Department of Labor and Industries, about the risks of opioid painkillers.

Employers in Pennsylvania who have established a certified safety committee are entitled to receive a 5% discount on their workers compensation premium.

If signed into law, the legislation would take effect in 60 days.