2000-02-18                     Senate Journal                      Page 2345
SB 278                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 278 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                          
                                                                               
An Act relating to the Alaska Workers                                         
Compensation Act, including the weekly rate of                                 
compensation and minimum and maximum                                           
compensation rates, specifying components of a                                 
reemployment plan, adjusting benefits for permanent                            
partial impairment, for reemployment plans, for                                
rehabilitation benefits, for widows, widowers and                              
orphans, and for funerals, calculation of gross                                
weekly earnings for seasonal and temporary workers                             
and for workers with overtime or premium pay,                                  
setting time limits for requesting a hearing or                                
rehabilitation benefits, setting time limits for claims                        
for compensation and for the rehabilitation process,                           
setting time limits for payment of medical bills,                              
waiver of rehabilitation benefits, obtaining medical                           
releases and resolving discovery disputes, setting an                          
interest rate for late compensation, and providing for                         
updating the medical fee schedule; and providing for                           
an effective date.                                                             
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the Labor and Commerce and             
Finance Committees.                                                            
                                                                               
Fiscal notes published today from Department of Administration,                
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.                                 
                                                                               

2000-02-18                     Senate Journal                      Page 2346
SB 278                                                                       
Governors transmittal letter dated February 11:                                
                                                                               
Dear President Pearce:                                                         
                                                                               
Periodically the Alaskas Workers Compensation Act has been                     
amended to keep pace with changing conditions and to ensure that               
our program is fair and efficient. It has been 12 years since                  
significant changes have been enacted. The bill I am introducing               
contains further changes to the Act which have been recommended                
by the Workers' Compensation Ad Hoc Committee, represented by                  
both employers and employees, to reflect the effects of inflation on           
benefits, recent court decisions and more efficient ways of handling           
our workers compensation program.                                              
                                                                               
Included in the changes are increases in benefits paid to injured              
workers, benefits that have lost value to inflation over the past 12           
years. The bill also addresses Alaska Supreme Court decisions as to            
what benefits should be paid during the rehabilitation process and             
what the timeframe should be for requests for claim hearings.                  
                                                                               
Other changes would streamline the rehabilitation process, the signing         
of medical releases, and the dispute resolution process. Benefits              
would be increased for workers in the retraining process and new               
timelines set for the payment of medical bills. Provisions would               
update the wage benchmarks to which benefits are tied.                         
                                                                               
The changes in this bill have been endorsed by employee and                    
employer representatives and provide for a more efficient and                  
equitable workers compensation system. I urge your prompt and                  
favorable action.                                                              
                                                                               
					Sincerely,                                                                
					/s/                                                                       
					Tony Knowles                                                              
					Governor