05/02/1995 01:40 PM Senate L&C

            HB 237 WORKERS' COMPENSATION AMENDMENTS                           
                                                                              
 SENATOR KELLY announced HB 237 to be up for consideration.                    
                                                                               
 TIM SULLIVAN, Staff to Representative Eldon Mulder, said HB 237 was           
 introduced at the request of Alaska Labor Management Ad Hoc                   
 Committee on Worker's Compensation, a committee formed from several           
 members from both labor and management.  He gave a brief sectional            
 analysis.                                                                     
                                                                               
 PAUL GROSSI, Department of Labor, said they support the bill                  
 although there is a technical problem with section 5 which his                
 amendment will address.                                                       
                                                                               
 Section 5 originally was for the release of information from                  
 medical and rehab providers to obtain information to be submitted             
 into a file.  The amendment on the floor makes it unclear about               
 whether they have right to the information contained in their own             
 file.  The other problem is that they can't conduct public hearings           
 and can't issue decisions without that information.  SENATOR KELLY            
 said it was the intention of section 5 to not allow public release            
 to this type of medical information.  He was concerned that it                
 didn't allow release to the Division of Worker's Compensation.  MR.           
 GROSSI said that was right.                                                   
                                                                               
 SHERMAN ERNOUF, Legislative Aide to Senator Kelly, noted that                 
 change was embodied in the proposed CS to HB 237.                             
                                                                               
 WILLY VON HEMERT, Management Representative of the Ad Hoc                     
 Committee, supported HB 237 and the two amendments regarding                  
 confidentiality of records and the language dealing with seasonal             
 and temporary workers.                                                        
                                                                               
 KEVIN DOUGHERTY, Ad Hoc Committee, said they fully support the bill           
 as a combined labor management body along with the amendments.                
                                                                               
 Number 320                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON moved to adopt CS marked K to HB 237.  There were           
 no objections and it was so ordered.                                          
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON moved to pass SCS HB 237(L&C) from committee with           
 individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so           
 ordered.