JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri senators endorsed a two-part plan Tuesday night to replenish an insolvent fund for disabled workers and stop people with job-related diseases from bringing big-dollar lawsuits against their employers.

The legislation attempts to address a pair of consequences resulting from a 2005 overhaul of Missouri's workers' compensation system, which resolves claims of job-related injuries through an administrative process instead of circuit court lawsuits.

That 2005 law passed by the Republican-led Legislature capped the fees businesses pay into a special state fund for disabled employees who suffer additional work-related injuries. Partly as a result of that cap, the Second Injury Fund now has a $25 million shortfall. The legislation seeks to replenish the fund by temporarily doubling the fee businesses could be charged and limiting the types of injuries the fund covers.

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