Statute Notice:
On December 22, 2021, Governor Wolf signed into law Act 95 of 2021 permanently amending the language of Section 449(c) of the Workers’ Compensation Act. Pertaining to the obligation that Claimant’s signature on a Compromise and Release (C & R) agreement be attested to by two witnesses or notarized, the statute now includes the following language:
However, the attestation by two witnesses or acknowledgment before a notary public shall not be required if the employee, widow or widower or dependent appears before the workers' compensation judge for the purposes of a hearing required under subsection (b) and provides a sworn oral statement that he or she understands the full legal significance of the agreement.
The statute goes into effect on February 20, 2022. Currently, attestation or notarization is not required under a temporary extension of the Governor’s Disaster Declaration suspension of that section of the Act which was due to expire on March 31, 2022. Act 95 of 2021 makes the change permanent.