03/10/1998 03:55 PM Senate L&C

           SB 305 - IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK COMP EDITION                        
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN LEMAN announced SB 305 to be up for consideration.                    
                                                                               
MS. SANDY BURD, Staff to Senator Duncan, sponsor, said it was                  
discovered in February that selected characteristics defined in the            
Dictionary of Occupational Title were the 1993 version which hadn't            
been adopted.  This meant they were using the 1981 version.                    
Originally this bill corrected that.  This morning she found,                  
however, that the U.S Department of Labor is working on a new                  
system and there is an amendment to change it so that if the new               
system comes on-line, the Occupational Information Network can be              
adopted as a replacement.                                                      
                                                                               
SENATOR MACKIE moved to adopt Amendment One.  There were no                    
objections and it was so ordered.                                              
                                                                               
SENATOR KELLY moved a conceptual amendment to tighten the title to             
what is being dealt with in the bill.  There were no objections and            
it was so ordered.                                                             
                                                                               
Number 471                                                                     
                                                                               
MR. PAUL GROSSI, Director, Division of Worker's Compensation, said             
the Department supported this bill and the amendments.  He said it             
allows them to use the most current data available from the U.S.               
Department of Labor regarding job characteristics, so                          
determinations can be made regarding retraining benefits.                      
SENATOR MACKIE moved to pass CSSB 305(L&C) with individual                     
recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so ordered.