Brennan's bipartisan burial benefits bill progresses to Pa. Senate
Rep. Tim Brennan June 11, 2026 | 7:02 PM
HARRISBURG, June 11 – The PA House of Representatives yesterday voted to pass legislation that would raise the workers’ compensation burial benefit given to families to cover the actual cost of burying a loved one who suffers a fatal work injury.
The House voted 190-12 to pass H.B. 2049, introduced by state Rep. Tim Brennan, D-Bucks, an attorney with extensive experience in workers’ compensation policy. A bipartisan measure, the bill is co-prime sponsored by Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny; Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware; and Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny.
Pennsylvania currently provides a workers’ compensation burial benefit of $7,000 to the family of a worker who dies on the job; however, the average burial cost in the commonwealth is about $20,000, according to the Department of Human Services.
“Thankfully, the number of workplace deaths has been decreasing in recent years. However, when tragedy strikes, we owe it to working people and their families to provide them with dignity and something more than lip-service to their actual needs,” Brennan said. “We pay for insurance to protect us – grieving families and some reputable businesses shouldn’t be forced to pay the difference between the burial benefit and the actual costs of burial; that is definitely not justice. I’m happy we’re taking a step to change that.”
“When someone dies while performing their duties at work, it is completely unexpected and will turn a family’s life upside down. The last thing they should be concerned about is whether a burial benefit will cover a proper opportunity to remember their parent, child, aunt or uncle,” Mihalek said. “This bill puts families first, and I was happy to work along with Rep. Brennan on its passage.”
"As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that families are protected at times like these,” O’Mara said. “Losing a loved one to a fatal workplace accident is an awful experience, and we need to make sure that the rising costs of a burial don’t make it even worse.”
“Everyone should be afforded with the dignity to bury their loved ones, especially if a workplace accident leads to the untimely loss of a family member,” Powell said. “A steep price tag should not prevent a family from giving their loved one the respectful farewell they deserve. I am grateful to see this bill pass by such a wide margin, and I look forward to working with Rep. Brennan and my fellow co-prime sponsors to advocate for its final passage.”
Brennan noted the burial allowance is often the only benefit provided to the surviving relatives, as no other benefits are provided to deceased employees without dependents, such as individuals who are unmarried or recently divorced and young adults without children. He added that this issue also adds costs for PA businesses; in recent years, U.S. Steel, which lost two workers, chose to pay the difference between the benefit provided and the actual cost of burial for their workers.
The bill now awaits action from the state Senate.