05/03/2007 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE

2:03:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 121(L&C) am                                                                                          
     "An Act relating to release of information in individual                                                                   
     workers' compensation records; and providing for an                                                                        
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman announced his intention  to report the bill from                                                               
Committee at this hearing.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:03:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  offered a motion  to adopt  SCS CS HB  121, 25-                                                               
LS0501\M, as a working document.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There was no  objection and HB 121, Version "M"  was ADOPTED as a                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:04:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY  WILSON, sponsor  of the bill,  testified it                                                               
would address  workers' privacy,  and prevent identity  theft and                                                               
discrimination  in the  workplace.  Currently, names,  addresses,                                                               
telephone numbers, e-mail addresses,  social security numbers and                                                               
other identifying  information of workers who  had filed workers'                                                               
compensation  claims  could  be  obtained from  the  Division  of                                                               
Workers' Compensation  by any requestor. This  was not acceptable                                                               
given the increasing incidences of identity theft.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:05:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas asked if the  provisions of this legislation would                                                               
"treat"  the workers'  compensation system  differently than  the                                                               
Alaska  Permanent Fund  and other  systems that  hold identifying                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:06:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson answered it would not.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:06:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked about opposition to the bill.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:06:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Wilson  told   of  members   of  the   House  of                                                               
Representatives  expressing  support   for  continuing  to  allow                                                               
access  to names  and addresses  of  those who  filed a  workers'                                                               
compensation claim.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson asked the reason.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson   understood  the  intent  was   to  allow                                                               
attorneys to  access names  and addresses  of those  workers. She                                                               
had confirmed that the provisions  of this bill would continue to                                                               
allow attorneys involved  in litigation on a claim  to access the                                                               
identifying information.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:07:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Huggins  clarified that access  to the  information would                                                               
not be allowed without the worker's permission.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:07:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson indicated in the affirmative.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:07:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Elton  asked whether this legislation  would impede child                                                               
support  enforcement efforts  to compile  employment records  for                                                               
the purpose of collecting child support payments.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:07:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson was unsure.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:07:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CLIFF  STONE, Staff  to  Representative  Peggy Wilson,  testified                                                               
that the  language of subsection  (b)(1) of AS  23.30.107 amended                                                               
in Section  1 on page  1, line  14 provided that  the prohibition                                                               
would not  apply to "…  a governmental agency …".  Therefore, the                                                               
identifying  information  could  be  shared  with  another  State                                                               
agency. Typically,  the information  shared was limited  to names                                                               
and  addresses; social  security numbers  were released  only for                                                               
the purpose of identifying a specific "John Q. Smith".                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:08:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Elton  assumed  that  all  governmental  agencies  could                                                               
secure  the  workers'  compensation  information,  including  for                                                               
example  the child  support enforcement  agency of  the State  of                                                               
Washington.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stone affirmed.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 2:08:56 PM / 2:09:10 PM                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman announced the bill would be HELD in Committee.