Legislature(1999 - 2000)
2000-04-13 House Journal
Full Journal pdf2000-04-13 House Journal Page 3107 HB 419 The Finance Committee has considered: HOUSE BILL NO. 419 "An Act relating to the weekly rate of compensation and minimum and maximum compensation rates for workers' compensation; specifying components of a workers' compensation reemployment plan; adjusting workers' compensation benefits for permanent partial impairment, for reemployment plans, for rehabilitation benefits, for widows, widowers, and orphans, and for funerals; relating to permanent total disability of an employee receiving rehabilitation benefits; relating to calculation of gross weekly earnings for workers' compensation benefits for seasonal and temporary workers and for workers with overtime or premium pay; setting time limits for requesting a hearing on claims for workers' compensation, for selecting a rehabilitation specialist, and for payment of medical bills; relating to termination and to waiver of rehabilitation benefits, obtaining medical releases, and resolving discovery disputes relating to workers' compensation; setting an interest rate for late payments of workers' compensation; providing for updating the workers' compensation medical fee schedule; and providing for an effective date." and recommends it be replaced with: CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 419(FIN) "An Act relating to the weekly rate of compensation and minimum and maximum compensation rates for workers' compensation; specifying components of a workers' compensation reemployment plan; relating to the liability of an employer for workers' 2000-04-13 House Journal Page 3108 HB 419 compensation coverage for a subcontractor; adjusting workers' compensation benefits for permanent partial impairment, for reemployment plans, for rehabilitation benefits, for widows, widowers, and orphans, and for funerals; relating to permanent total disability of an employee receiving rehabilitation benefits; relating to calculation of gross weekly earnings for workers' compensation benefits for seasonal and temporary workers and for workers with overtime or premium pay; setting time limits for requesting a hearing on claims for workers' compensation, for selecting a rehabilitation specialist, and for payment of medical bills; relating to termination and to waiver of rehabilitation benefits, obtaining medical releases, and resolving discovery disputes relating to workers' compensation; setting an interest rate for late payments of workers' compensation; providing for updating the workers' compensation medical fee schedule; and providing for an effective date." The report was signed by Representatives Therriault and Mulder, Co- chairs, with the following individual recommendations: Do pass (4): Mulder, Davies, Williams, Phillips No recommendation (7): Therriault, Bunde, Austerman, Grussendorf, Moses, Davis, Foster A Finance Committee letter of intent for CSHB 419(FIN), signed by Representatives Therriault and Mulder, Co-chairs, appears below: "In adopting Amendment No. 1 to this bill, the legislature is acting to clarify the existing statute. When a contractor employs a subcontractor who does not have any employees, certain members of the insurance industry are demanding premiums from such contractors. These demands are not based on any specific statutory authority. It is the intent of the legislature to clearly state that when a subcontractor does not have any employees, the contractor who employs that subcontractor is not required to purchase workers' compensation insurance for that subcontractor. This legislature believes that the current language in the statute is clear and explicitly refers to "employees of the subcontractor." This legislature believes that this reading of the current language should be used to resolve any current disputes between 2000-04-13 House Journal Page 3109 HB 419 members of the insurance industry and contractors in the state over workers' compensation coverage for subcontractors who do not have any employees. This legislature believes that Amendment No. 1 clarifies that the contractor of a subcontractor who has no employees is not responsible for providing workers' compensation for that subcontractor. This legislature believes that under the current statutes and the proposed amendment, insurance companies have no legal right to demand premiums from a contractor who employs a subcontractor when that subcontractor does not have any employees." The following fiscal notes apply to CSHB 419(FIN): Fiscal note, Office of the Governor/All Depts., 3/29/00 Fiscal note, Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development, 3/29/00 Fiscal note, University of Alaska, 3/29/00 HB 419 was referred to the Rules Committee for placement on the calendar.