Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120

01/29/2024 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ HB 88 WAREHOUSE WORK QUOTAS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ HB 63 REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
*+ HB 170 MISUSE OF PUB. OFFICER OFFICIAL POSITION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
         HB  63-REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:01:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 63, "An  Act repealing the  Workers' Compensation                                                               
Appeals  Commission;  relating to  decisions  and  orders of  the                                                               
Workers'  Compensation Appeals  Commission; relating  to superior                                                               
court   jurisdiction   over    appeals   from   Alaska   Workers'                                                               
Compensation Board  decisions; repealing Rules 201.1,  401.1, and                                                               
501.1, Alaska  Rules of Appellate  Procedure, and  amending Rules                                                               
202(a),  204(a)  -  (c),  210(e), 601(b),  602(c)  and  (h),  and                                                               
603(a), Alaska  Rules of Appellate  Procedure; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:02:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER, prime  sponsor,  presented HB  63.   He                                                               
shared the sponsor statement [included  in the committee packet],                                                               
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     House Bill 63  would save $433,000 per  year, remove an                                                                    
     unnecessary  bureaucracy,  and make  Alaska's  Workers'                                                                    
     Compensation program more  sustainable by repealing the                                                                    
     Alaska   Workers'   Compensation  Appeals   Commission.                                                                    
     Passing  House Bill  63 will  return jurisdiction  over                                                                    
     appeals  of Workers'  Compensation  Board decisions  to                                                                    
     the  Superior Court.  Currently the  Appeals Commission                                                                    
     handles  these  cases,  and   their  decisions  can  be                                                                    
     appealed to the Supreme Court.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     For  decades,  the  Superior Court  had  handled  these                                                                    
     cases. Operating the  Appeals Commission costs $433,000                                                                    
     annually and  it currently has two  fulltime employees,                                                                    
     while  the Court  System has  testified  that they  can                                                                    
     handle  these  cases  with  their  current  budget  and                                                                    
     staffing levels. The  Appeals Commission's workload has                                                                    
     decreased considerably  since it  was created  in 2005.                                                                    
     In 2007, they  had 49 new cases filed  and published 42                                                                    
     decisions but  by 2022 they  only had 14 new  cases and                                                                    
     published only 5 decisions.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     In  2015,   the  House  Labor  and   Workforce  Finance                                                                    
     Subcommittee  found the  Appeals Commission  to be  "an                                                                    
     ineffective division" and that  "their closure rate and                                                                    
     average  time for  closure is  not demonstrably  better                                                                    
     than the  process was before  the establishment  of the                                                                    
     commission."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     This  bill would  create  a  transition period  between                                                                    
     June 1 and  December 1 of 2023 when new  cases would be                                                                    
     filed  with   the  Superior  Court,  but   the  Appeals                                                                    
     Commission  would continue  to  handle  the cases  that                                                                    
     were already pending. On December  2, all pending cases                                                                    
     would  be transferred  to the  Superior  Court and  the                                                                    
     Appeals Commission  will be fully repealed  on December                                                                    
     31.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska's Workers' Compensation  regulation is funded by                                                                    
     service  fees collected  from  insurance providers  and                                                                    
     self-insurers. In Fiscal Year  2021 the state collected                                                                    
     $6.3  million in  fees and  the  Department of  Revenue                                                                    
     projects this will fall to  $5.9 million in FY 2022 and                                                                    
     $5.4 million in FY  2023. Given Alaska's budget deficit                                                                    
     and this declining revenue, we  simply cannot afford to                                                                    
     spend $433,000  to operate  a separate  commission when                                                                    
     the courts are well equipped to handle these cases.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:04:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE,  on behalf of Representative  Rauscher, prime sponsor,                                                               
presented  the sectional  analysis  for HB  63  [included in  the                                                               
committee packet],  which read  as follows  [original punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1 establishes  that the  Workers' Compensation                                                                    
     Board (Board)  shall maintain  records of  the repealed                                                                    
     Workers' Compensation  Appeals Commission (Commission).                                                                    
     It  also establishes  that Commission  decisions remain                                                                    
     as  legal precedent  unless overturned  or modified  by                                                                    
     the courts.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2 removes references to the Commission.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3 removes a reference to the Commission.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4 removes a reference to the Commission.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 5 creates a new  AS 23.30.126 governing appeals                                                                    
     of Workers' Compensation Board decisions.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection  (a) establishes  that  Board decisions  and                                                                    
     orders   become  effective   when  filed,   that  these                                                                    
     decisions and  orders can be modified  or reconsidered,                                                                    
     and that a party may appeal  a decision or order to the                                                                    
     superior court.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection  (b) establishes  that  Board decisions  and                                                                    
     orders  are not  automatically stayed  pending judicial                                                                    
     review and  establishes the criteria  for when  a court                                                                    
     may issue a stay.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (c)  establishes that factual  findings made                                                                    
     by  the  Board  shall  be conclusive  if  supported  by                                                                    
     substantial  evidence and  that AS  44.62.570 governing                                                                    
     administrative appeals  shall apply  to the  appeals of                                                                    
     Board decisions.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (d)  allows the director of  the Division of                                                                    
     Workers' Compensation  to intervene  in appeals  and to                                                                    
     file  appeals  if a  party  is  not represented  by  an                                                                    
     attorney and  the case  presents an  unsettled question                                                                    
     of law.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section  6 is  a  conforming amendment  to reflect  the                                                                    
     changes made by Section 5.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section 7 removes a reference to the Commission.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section  8  repeals  the court  rules  related  to  the                                                                    
     Commission.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section  9   repeals  the   statutes  related   to  the                                                                    
     Commission.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section 10  contains indirect court rule  amendments to                                                                    
     reflect the changes made by Section 5.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section  11  establishes   which  procedures  apply  to                                                                    
     appeals pending  before the  Commission between  June 1                                                                    
     and December 1, 2023.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection  (a) establishes  that the  Commission shall                                                                    
     continue to  handle cases through December  1, 2023 and                                                                    
     that the  Commission shall  continue all  cases pending                                                                    
     on December 1, 2023.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (b)  establishes that  the new  procedure in                                                                    
     Section 5  does not apply  to cases before  December 1,                                                                    
     2023.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (c) establishes that  the old statutes apply                                                                    
     for appeals  of final decisions made  by the commission                                                                    
     and issued by December 1st.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section 12 establishes transitional provisions.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (a) establishes that  starting June 1, 2023,                                                                    
     all new appeals of Board  decisions shall be filed with                                                                    
     the Superior Court under Section 5.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (b)  establishes that appeals  of Commission                                                                    
     rulings issued by December 1,  2023 shall be filed with                                                                    
     the Supreme Court.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (c)  ends the Commission's ability  to order                                                                    
     reconsideration  of  cases  on December  2,  2023.  All                                                                    
     outstanding  requests  for reconsideration  pending  on                                                                    
     that  date would  be  automatically  rejected, and  any                                                                    
     party whose  request was denied  may appeal  their case                                                                    
     to the Supreme Court.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (d) requires the  Commission to transfer the                                                                    
     files for  all pending cases  to the Superior  Court on                                                                    
     December 2,  2023 and to  provide the parties  30 days'                                                                    
     notice of  the transfer  of jurisdiction. If  the court                                                                    
     finds that the records do  not meet the requirements of                                                                    
     the  Rules of  Appellate  Procedure, it  may order  the                                                                    
     Commission  to  make  necessary  changes  and  resubmit                                                                    
     them.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 13 ends the terms  of all Commission members on                                                                    
     December 31, 2023.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Section  14 makes  this  act only  take  effect if  the                                                                    
     court rule changes in Sections 8 and 10 are adopted.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 15 provides a June 1, 2023 effective date.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:08:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MCKEE  directed  attention  to  a  PowerPoint  presentation,                                                               
titled  "House  Bill  63  Repeal  Workers'  Compensation  Appeals                                                               
Commission" [hard  copy included  in the  committee packet].   He                                                               
began  on  slide  2,  "House  Bill 63,"  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Repeals  the   Alaska  Workers'   Compensation  Appeals                                                                    
     Commission                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Returns   jurisdiction   over   Workers'   Compensation                                                                    
     appeals to the Superior Court                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Saves $482,400 per year                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Helps  fill the  Workers'  Compensation budget  deficit                                                                    
     and  make Alaska's  Workers'  Compensation system  more                                                                    
     solvent                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE  continued to  slide 3, which  featured a  flowchart of                                                               
the workers'  compensation claim  appeals process.   He  moved to                                                               
slide  4, "HB  63 Will  Save $482,400  Per Year,"  which read  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Currently the Commission has  2 full-time employees and                                                                    
     pays for commissioners' travel and per diem                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Previously, the  Court System  has testified  that they                                                                    
     can absorb these cases with a zero fiscal note                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:10:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE directed attention to  the graph on slide 5, indicating                                                               
that the commission's  workload had declined from  49 cases filed                                                               
and  42 published  decisions  in  2007 to  4  cases  filed and  5                                                               
decisions  issued in  2023.   Slide 6  read as  follows [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     "The  Worker's Compensation  Appeals  Commission is  an                                                                    
     ineffective   division?  The   Commission  during   the                                                                    
     calendar year  of 2013  closed 30  cases for  a closure                                                                    
     rate of 67 percent with  an average time from filing to                                                                    
     closure of seven months. This  closure rate and average                                                                    
     time for  closure is not  demonstrably better  than the                                                                    
     process   was   before   the   establishment   of   the                                                                    
     commission."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     House  Department of  Labor  and Workforce  Development                                                                    
     Finance Subcommittee, February 25, 2015                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:11:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE continued to slide 7, "The workers' Compensation                                                                      
Appeals Commission Has Not Closed Cases Faster than the Courts,"                                                                
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     • The  Superior Court took  "8 to 18 months"  to decide                                                                    
     Workers' Compensation Appeals.                                                                                             
     •  When  the Appeals  Commission  was  created, it  was                                                                    
     estimated that  the Commission could decide  cases in 6                                                                    
     months.                                                                                                                    
     • Instead,  in 2018 it  averaged 12.2 months  to decide                                                                    
     cases.                                                                                                                     
     • Even as their workload  decreased, in 2021 they still                                                                    
     averaged 9.3 months to decide cases.                                                                                       
     •  More  Commission  decisions   are  appealed  to  the                                                                    
     Supreme  Court, adding  months  to  years before  final                                                                    
     resolution.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Sources:   Testimony   of  Paul   Lisankie,   Director,                                                                    
     Division  of Workers'  Compensation,  Senate Labor  and                                                                    
     Commerce Committee, March 10, 2005.                                                                                        
     Alaska Workers' Compensation  Appeals Commission Annual                                                                    
     Report for Calendar Year 2021.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE proceeded to slide 8, "HB 63 Will Reduce Appeals to                                                                   
the Supreme Court," which read as follows [original punctuation                                                                 
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     When the  Superior Court handled  appeals approximately                                                                    
     25%  of their  decisions were  appealed to  the Supreme                                                                    
     Court.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Since the  Commission was created  in 2005, 36%  of its                                                                    
     decisions have been appealed to the Supreme Court.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Since  2011,  50%  of Commission  decisions  have  been                                                                    
     appealed.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Sources:  Testimony  of Doug  Wooliver,  administrative                                                                    
     attorney,  Alaska   Court  System,  Senate   Labor  and                                                                    
     Commerce   Committee,  March   10,  2005.   Legislative                                                                    
     Research Services Report 19-175.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:12:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE moved to slide 9, which read as follows [original                                                                     
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska's  Workers'  Compensation   and  Safety  Program                                                                    
     Faces a Growing Budget Deficit-HB 63 Will Help Fill It                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     • Workers' Compensation and Safety  are funded by a tax                                                                    
     on Workers' Compensation payments                                                                                          
     •  These programs  cost $9.1  million annually  and are                                                                    
     projected to remain flat                                                                                                   
     • Saving  $482,4000 will help close  the growing budget                                                                    
     gap.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE concluded on slide 10, "Bottom Line," which read as                                                                   
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     HB 63 saves $482,400 annually                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Preserves parties'  right to have their  cases heard in                                                                    
     timely manner                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Will reduce appeals to the Supreme Court                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Makes  Alaska's   Workers'  Compensation   system  more                                                                    
     solvent                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:13:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD  asked whether there were  any attorneys or                                                               
paralegals on the commission.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE  stated that the chair  was a lawyer; however,  the two                                                               
commissioners were not.  In response  to a follow up question, he                                                               
confirmed that the caseload had  decreased significantly, but the                                                               
time it takes to render a decision remained the same.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD  highlighted the letter from  Mr. Croft, an                                                               
attorney, in the supporting documents.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:14:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GROH asked  why the  number of  cases had  fallen                                                               
over the years.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MCKEE  pointed out  that  more  safety measures  were  being                                                               
implemented  by companies,  resulting in  fewer grievances  being                                                               
filed.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   RAUSCHER   explained    that   businesses   were                                                               
constantly  holding  safety   meetings  and  implementing  safety                                                               
measures  to decrease  injuries on  the job  because compensation                                                               
costs money.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:16:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRAY sought  to  confirm that  there  was a  zero                                                               
fiscal note for up to 30 cases.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MCKEE confirmed  that the  commission  could take  up to  30                                                               
cases  at  no additional  cost.    In  response  to a  follow  up                                                               
question, he said  the courts would determine the  fiscal cost if                                                               
the case count were to rise above 30.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:17:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced that HB 63 would be held over.                                                                            

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 170 - Sponsor Statement.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 170
HB 170 - v.A.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 170
HB 170 - Sectional Analysis.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 170
HB 170 - Civil Divison of DOL Fiscal Note.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 170
HB 88 - v.B.PDF HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 88
HB 88 - Sectional Analysis v.B.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 88
HB 88 - Explanation of Changes Between v.A to v.B.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 88
HB 88 - DOA Fiscal Note.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 88
HB 88 - DOL Fiscal Note.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 88
HB 63 - Sponsor Statement.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - v.A.PDF HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Sectional Analysis.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Powerpoint Presentation.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Legislative Research - AWCAC Cases 2005-2022.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Supporting Document-Croft Letter 4.2.17.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Supporting Document-Croft Research 4.2.17.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - Court System Fiscal Note.pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63
HB 63 - DOL - Workers Comp..pdf HJUD 1/29/2024 1:00:00 PM
HB 63