4:05:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR                                                         SPOHNHOLZ                                                      
would                                         be                        HOUSE                                         BILL      
workers'                                                       compensation                                                     
workers'                                                        compensation                                                    
impairment;                                                                             relating                                
death benefits; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:05:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHARLES                                                     COLLINS,                                                          Di
Department                                                                   of                   Labor                         
congratulating                                                                                              the                 
premiums                                                       down,                                      and                   
eighth                                             year                                in                     a               ro
employers.                                                                                He                      added         
because                                                        some                                      things                 
adjusted                                                        for                           many                              
is                    the                          only                               path                                that  
repairment                                                                       after                                          
[workers'                                                                  compensation]                                        
have                                    been                                    a                  number                       
occurring in 2005.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.                         COLLINS                                                 shared                                      
inform                                             the                          Division                                        
has                           occurred                                                        on                     the        
division                                                       gets                                a              report        
occasionally                                                                                 a                 medical          
process                                                             goes                                           smoothly,    
rehabilitated                                                                                       and                         
"90-plus                                                         percent"                                                       
that                                occasionally,                                                                               
to                     rehabilitation                                                                                           
that                                    is                        brought                                                      b
situation                                                              is                     rare,                             
compared                                                         to                     17,000                                  
lawyers                                                  and                           employee                                 
He                          said                                       that                                      under          
employee                                                                 is                             only                    
consultation.                                                                                               If                  
counsel                                                 gets                               paid                               th
the                            employer,                                                                and                     
burden of that cost.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:10:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ invited questions from the committee.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:10:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR                                                           SPOHNHOLZ                                                    
ascertaining                                                                                that                                
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:11:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE                                                                                             KAUFMAN              
Sectional                                                              Analysis,                                                
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                  Section                                                             2:                     
                                  23.30.190(a),                                                                                 
                                  compensation                                                                                  
                                  $177,000                                                            (2000                     
                                  inflation                                                               and                   
                                  the national average.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE                                                                                               KAUFMAN            
average in the year 2000.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.                          COLLINS                                                  responded                                 
$177,000                                                         was                           at                     the       
the                          baseline                                                       was                          changed
to                    bring                                      Alaska                                           closer        
that                                due                          to                    inflation,                               
again                                     to                   align                                     itself                 
Representative Josephson proposed in HB 30.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE                                                                                                 KAUFMAN          
complicated                                                                             and                             that    
through.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.                         COLLINS                                                 replied                                     
whole                                       body                                impairment                                      
used                                      as                           a                    starting                            
explained                                                                   that                                     some       
compensation                                                                              out                          by       
whole                                         body.                                                    The                      
American                                                        Medical                                                  Associa
compensation                                                                                 amount                             
he reiterated has not been updated in 21 years.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:15:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ invited questions from the committee.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:15:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR                                                          FIELDS                                               moved    
individual                                                                      recommendations                                 
There                                        being                                         no                       objection,  
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.