02/22/2006 04:00 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

SB 260-EXTEND TASK FORCE ON WORKERS' COMP                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be SENATE BILL  NO. 260, "An Act extending the  date by which the                                                               
Task  Force on  Workers' Compensation  shall report  its findings                                                               
and the  termination date of  that task force; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
BRIAN HOVE,  Staff to Senator Seekins,  Alaska State Legislature,                                                               
explained  that   during  the   2005  legislative   session,  the                                                               
legislature  passed  SB 130,  which  created  the Task  Force  on                                                               
Workers' Compensation.   The  task force met  seven times  over a                                                               
three-month   period  and   produced  a   final  report   to  the                                                               
legislature,  which  includes a  recommendation  for  a one  year                                                               
extension.   He  stated  that SB  260 allows  the  task force  to                                                               
complete the work that it was assigned.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:04:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN informed the  committee that he co-chairs the                                                               
task force  [along with Senator Seekins]  and said " ...  I think                                                               
we did some good work, I think more work needs to be done."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:05:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.   HOVE,  in   response  to   questions  from   Representative                                                               
Guttenberg, explained  that the  task force had  a report  due at                                                               
the beginning  of December 2005,  but did not make  the deadline.                                                               
Therefore,  in   addition  to  extending  the   task  force,  the                                                               
legislation  would extend  the report  deadline  to February  15,                                                               
2006.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON asked if the  sponsor would like the date amended,                                                               
since [February 15, 2006] is in the past.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE  replied that the  report has already been  submitted to                                                               
the Senate Secretary.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD stated  that he would like to  see a copy                                                               
of the report.   He commented that he doesn't  mind extending the                                                               
date, but would like to have a clear  idea as to the goals of the                                                               
task force.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE  replied that the task  force would like time  to "flesh                                                               
out" the issues, as it was not able to fully explore them.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN stated that  [the co-chairs] are "in concert"                                                               
on this  issue.   He agreed that  a number of  issues need  to be                                                               
"fleshed  out."    He  opined  that the  task  force  "rushed  to                                                               
judgment" on  some of the issues,  and left some unresolved.   In                                                               
response to comments  from Chair Anderson, he  explained that the                                                               
task  force report  is  incomplete and  opined  that because  the                                                               
issues are serious, the task force should not rush to judgment.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked how the  issues were decided on and                                                               
if they are listed in the final report.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE  replied that while  the task  force did submit  a final                                                               
report, it  still has the ability  to submit another report.   He                                                               
explained  that the  task  force submitted  the  final report  to                                                               
"remain in the spirit" of [SB 130].   He went on to say that each                                                               
member  came  with  different  priorities,  and  the  task  force                                                               
attempted to address all of them.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:10:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRAWFORD  noted  that   he  attended  task  force                                                               
meetings during which  a number of issues came up.   He asked how                                                               
the task force decided which of  these issues went into the final                                                               
report.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE  replied that it  might be better  to provide a  copy of                                                               
the report and  then discuss these issues, adding that  it was "a                                                               
consensus report."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN agreed  with this  and added  that the  task                                                               
force did not debate over what  to include or not include [in the                                                               
report].  He  noted that he does not recall  any concern that was                                                               
not addressed in some fashion.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE, in response to  Chair Anderson, confirmed that the task                                                               
force consisted of a "mix" of  representation.  He noted that the                                                               
task  force  included:  Dr.  John  Duddy  (Alaska  State  Medical                                                               
Association);  Rod Betit  (Alaska State  Hospital &  Nursing Home                                                               
Association; Michael  Jensen (Workers'  Comp Attorney-Employees);                                                               
Trena Heikes  (Workers' Comp Attorney-Employer);  Kevin Dougherty                                                               
(Organized  Employees); Connie  Livsey  (Workers' Comp  Insurance                                                               
Carriers);  Jamie  Slack  (Self-Insured Employers);  Linda  Lewis                                                               
(Small Businesses),  and Everett Billingslea  (Large Businesses),                                                               
in addition to Senator Gretchen Guess and the Co-Chairs.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ANDERSON asked  Mr. Hove to supplement the  final report to                                                               
the committee.   He opined that the longer it  takes for [SB 260]                                                               
to [move through  the legislature], the less work  the task force                                                               
can complete.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:13:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG stated that  he attended a few meetings                                                               
and  asked  if  the  [task force]  was  successful  in  obtaining                                                               
numbers from the medical community for evaluation purposes.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOVE answered  that the  task  force did  not have  specific                                                               
[medical] data  available to them,  adding that the  short amount                                                               
of  time made  it difficult  to get  to all  of the  issues.   He                                                               
stated that the task force would  like an opportunity to "go back                                                               
and see if we can pick up some of those pieces."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN  stated that  he  would  welcome input  from                                                               
other legislators  regarding specific  issues for the  task force                                                               
to address.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked if the  task force intends to issue                                                               
another report.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LYNN  replied   that  additional  meetings  would                                                               
result  in more  information.   He then  questioned the  point of                                                               
meeting if another report will not be issued.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  asked why February 28,  2007, was chosen                                                               
as the termination date.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOVE  replied  that  date  was  chosen  to  allow  time  for                                                               
"cleanup."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  asked if the  bill should be  amended to                                                               
require another report from the task force.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOVE  opined that the  intent of the  task force is  to issue                                                               
another report and adding this language would complicate things.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:18:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG  asked if SB  130 created a  Medical Task                                                               
Force in addition to the Task Force on Workers' Compensation.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOVE  replied  that  there  is  a  Medical  Services  Review                                                               
Committee which  issued a  report to the  Task Force  on Workers'                                                               
Compensation.   He explained that  this report is attached  as an                                                               
addendum  to  the  Task  Force  on  Workers'  Compensation  final                                                               
report.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:19:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN moved to report  SB 260 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, SB  260 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.