Legislature(2019 - 2020)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

01/28/2020 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 50 EMPLOYMENT TAX FOR EDUCATION FACILITIES TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
*+ SB 76 REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
         SB 76-REPEAL WORKERS' COMP APPEALS COMMISSION                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:01:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
SENATE BILL NO.  76, "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."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BISHOP noted  that this was the first hearing,  there was a                                                               
committee  substitute to  consider,  and  only invited  testimony                                                               
would be heard.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:02:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt  the committee substitute (CS) for                                                               
SB 76, work order 31-LS0493\M, as the working document.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BISHOP  objected for  an explanation  of changes.  He asked                                                               
the sponsor to give an overview  of the bill before talking about                                                               
the changes in the CS.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:02:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BILL  WIELECHOWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor of  SB 76,  stated  that this  bill repeals  the                                                               
Workers' Compensation  Appeals Commission,  which would  save the                                                               
state  more  than $425,000  a  year.  He explained  that  workers                                                               
injured on the  job in Alaska file  workers' compensation claims.                                                               
In 2018,  17,694 reports of  injury or occupational  illness were                                                               
filed, which was a 3.8  percent decrease from 2017. When disputes                                                               
arise,  these   claims  are  referred  to   the  Alaska  Workers'                                                               
Compensation Board  (WCB) that is  composed of a  hearing officer                                                               
who  is  typically an  attorney  who  works  for the  state,  one                                                               
representative from labor, and one from management.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Under existing  law, appeals of the  Alaska Workers' Compensation                                                               
Board  are   referred  to   the  Workers'   Compensation  Appeals                                                               
Commission (WCAC).  Of the  17,694 injury  reports, the  WCB held                                                               
213  hearings.  The   Workers'  Compensation  Appeals  Commission                                                               
issued  10  decisions in  2016,  10  decisions  in 2017,  and  14                                                               
decisions in 2018.  Even though only a few cases  are appealed to                                                               
the WCAP, the annual cost of  the commission is $425,000. He said                                                               
his  position is  that these  appeals  could be  absorbed by  the                                                               
superior  court. In  fact,  from statehood  until  2005 when  the                                                               
commission  was  created,  the   superior  court  heard  workers'                                                               
compensation cases.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  offered his  belief that  this is  the only                                                               
instance of  an agency  in the executive  branch where  the final                                                               
decision is not appealable to the superior court.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
The argument  for creating  this commission  was that  the public                                                               
would  benefit from  having a  commission that  had a  particular                                                               
expertise  in   workers'  compensation.  However,   the  workers'                                                               
compensation  system  is  not more  complex  than  mental  health                                                               
issues, family  legal issues,  or other  complex issues  that the                                                               
superior court handles on a regular basis.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI  said  based   on  the  numbers,  shortened                                                               
timeframes have  not materialized.  Further, about 50  percent of                                                               
the Workers'  Compensation Appeals Commission  decisions appealed                                                               
to the  Alaska Supreme  Court (ASC) are  reversed. In  2005, when                                                               
the WCAC was  established, 25 percent of the  cases were appealed                                                               
to the ASC. That has risen to 79 percent in recent years.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  said another argument in  favor of creating                                                               
a commission was to have  cases decided more quickly. However, at                                                               
the time the  commission was established the  superior court took                                                               
from  7-18 months  to issue  its decisions.  In 2018,  the WCAC's                                                               
Annual  Report shows  that it  took an  average of  12 months  to                                                               
issue  final decisions.  He said  the concept  of abolishing  the                                                               
commission has been around for a  number of years. Five years ago                                                               
the  House  Finance budget  subcommittee  for  the Department  of                                                               
Labor  and Workforce  Development  (DOLWD)  recommended that  the                                                               
WCAC be eliminated.  The subcommittee noted the  cost savings and                                                               
found that the  closure rate was not  demonstratively better than                                                               
the  process prior  to the  establishment of  the commission.  He                                                               
noted that the report was in members' packets.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Subsequently, a bill was filed to  abolish the WCAC and the House                                                               
voted 40-0 to appeal it. He  said SB 76 is virtually identical to                                                               
the  one that  passed the  House.  He directed  attention to  the                                                               
fiscal  note  and said  the  savings  would  be half  the  amount                                                               
reflected in the  fiscal note (FN) for 2020 due  to the delay. He                                                               
offered his belief that this  bill, which would abolish the WCAC,                                                               
would have very little impact on members' constituents.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:09:55 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID DUNSMORE,  Staff, Senator  Bill Wielechowski,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,  on behalf of the  sponsor, said the                                                               
only change in  the proposed committee substitute (CS)  for SB 76                                                               
was to  replace all instances  of 2019  with 2020 since  the bill                                                               
did not pass the legislature last session.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:10:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP removed his objection.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COSTELLO asked if there was any opposition to SB 76.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  said no. There  were two  letters submitted                                                               
in the past  expressing opposition. One was from  an attorney who                                                               
represents employers and the other  was from a group of employers                                                               
who had formed an organization.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS  asked for an  explanation of appeals  under both                                                               
processes.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:11:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  explained that currently an  injured worker                                                               
would file  a claim with  the Workers' Compensation  Board (WCB).                                                               
An  overwhelming majority  of  these cases  are  resolved by  the                                                               
board, he said.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
When  cases  are appealed,  they  are  referred to  the  Workers'                                                               
Compensation  Appeals Commission  (WCAC). The  WCAC is  an agency                                                               
within  the  executive branch.  Either  party  has the  right  to                                                               
appeal to the  Alaska Supreme Court (ASC). The  WCAC has averaged                                                               
19  published decisions  per year  and 10-14  published decisions                                                               
between 2016 and 2018.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI explained  that  under the  bill, it  would                                                               
revert  to  the  pre-2005  process.  Appeals  from  the  Workers'                                                               
Compensation  Board  decisions  would  be  referred  to  superior                                                               
court.  Parties could  appeal the  superior court's  decisions to                                                               
the Alaska Supreme Court. This  bill would essentially substitute                                                               
the  superior   court  for  the  Workers'   Compensation  Appeals                                                               
Commission.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:13:12 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. DUNSMORE read the following sectional analysis of SB 76:                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     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.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:14:45 PM                                                                                                                    
     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, 2020.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection  (a) establishes  that the  Commission shall                                                                    
     continue to  handle cases through December  1, 2019 and                                                                    
     that the  Commission shall  continue all  cases pending                                                                    
     on December 1, 2020.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (b)  establishes that  the new  procedure in                                                                    
     Section 5  does not apply  to cases before  December 1,                                                                    
     2020.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     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, 2020                                                                    
     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, 2020 shall be filed with                                                                     
     the Supreme Court.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Subsection (c)  ends the Commission's ability  to order                                                                    
     reconsideration  of  cases  on December  2,  2020.  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.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:17:07 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP asked what recourse someone has if they want to                                                                    
appeal.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.   DUNSMORE   answered   that   any   pending   requests   for                                                               
reconsideration at  the commission  level would  be automatically                                                               
denied,  and  the person  could  file  an  appeal to  the  Alaska                                                               
Supreme Court.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. DUNSMORE continued the sectional analysis.                                                                                  
     Subsection (d) requires the  Commission to transfer the                                                                    
     files for  all pending cases  to the Superior  Court on                                                                    
     December 2,  2020 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, 2020.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     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, 2020 effective date.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:18:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS asked who serves on the compensation board.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI  answered  that the  Workers'  Compensation                                                               
Board consists  of hearing  officers. He  offered to  provide the                                                               
information  but recalled  that  five hearing  officers, who  are                                                               
typically attorneys,  are designated  by the  commissioner. There                                                               
are also  appointees for labor  and for management,  appointed by                                                               
the governor  and approved by  the legislature. He said  the WCAC                                                               
is  similar,  with an  attorney  serving  as  the chair  and  two                                                               
members  appointed  by  the  governor from  labor  and  two  from                                                               
management, approved  by the legislature. He  characterized these                                                               
as "very good  people." He said he knows them  all. He previously                                                               
served  as a  hearing  officer. He  said,  "They are  outstanding                                                               
public servants."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
One  of the  concerns  is that  the commission  is  acting as  an                                                               
appellate  court and  deciding issues  of law,  but some  members                                                               
have  little legal  training. In  deciding Workers'  Compensation                                                               
Board decisions, that's a real  benefit because it gives people a                                                               
perspective in the workplace. However,  in deciding appellate law                                                               
issues  like a  superior court  would, it  is a  little bit  of a                                                               
detriment, he said.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:20:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked why the  commission was established in                                                               
2005.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI answered  that  it was  intended to  create                                                               
expertise in  workers' compensation. He reiterated  that since it                                                               
is structured as an appellate  court, the commission members must                                                               
decide  complex legal  issues with  very  little legal  training.                                                               
Another argument  was cases  would be  decided quicker,  but that                                                               
has not been the case. The  cost does not justify the results, he                                                               
said.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON related her  understanding that the WCAC has                                                               
not been cost-effective.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said that has been an argument.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:22:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHANCY CROFT, representing self, Anchorage,  Alaska, said he is a                                                               
retired  attorney and  retired legislator.  He did  not like  the                                                               
creation  of the  Workers' Compensation  Appeals Commission  from                                                               
the beginning, he said. One issue  that has not been discussed is                                                               
that the  three members  of the  "appellate court"  aren't always                                                               
available  whereas  a superior  court  judge  can always  make  a                                                               
decision on a case.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. CROFT said  compensation must be paid when it  is ordered and                                                               
when  it is  not paid  within 14  days of  the order  there is  a                                                               
penalty.  This  compensation  includes  time  loss  benefits  and                                                               
medical benefits.  The commission often  does not meet  within 14                                                               
days,  he said.  The  WCAC  adopted a  procedure,  likely out  of                                                               
necessity but  it is still  a substantial defect.  This procedure                                                               
indicates the WCAC could later enter  an order that said the case                                                               
is  stayed so  no penalty  would be  due. Because  that would  be                                                               
after the 14-day  period, the penalty would already  have been in                                                               
effect. The commission  adopted a technique that  is called "nunc                                                               
pro tunc" which  means "now for then" The  commission would grant                                                               
the  stay   months  after  the   case  had  been  filed.   In  an                                                               
overwhelming  majority of  cases, compensation  wasn't paid,  and                                                               
neither was the penalty. He  said that has harmed injured workers                                                               
in terms of  time loss benefits. He cited a  2019 case where time                                                               
loss and  medical benefits  were ordered.  Both were  affected by                                                               
that procedure,  he said.  He agreed with  the sponsor  that many                                                               
appeals have been reversed by  the Alaska Supreme Court. In 2019,                                                               
six WCAC cases  were appealed to the Supreme Court;  two of those                                                               
decisions were  affirmed and four  were unanimously  reversed. He                                                               
noted  that   the  superior  court   heard  a   seventh  workers'                                                               
compensation  case, which  was a  fluke. He  emphasized that  the                                                               
appeals commission  hasn't had as  good a record as  the superior                                                               
court had previously.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:27:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP stated that he would hold SB 76 for further                                                                        
consideration.                                                                                                                  

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 50 ver. M.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 Work Draft ver. S.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 Sponsor Statement ver. S.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 Sectional Analysis ver. S.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB050 DRAFT Fiscal Note DOR-TAX 1-24-2020.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB050 DRAFT Fiscal Note DOLWD-UI 04-12-19.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB50 - Resolutions and Letters.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50 News-Miner Editorial.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 News-Miner opinion.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 - FY21 Major Maintenance Final List.pdf SFIN 2/28/2020 9:00:00 AM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 - FY21 School Construction Final List.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 50 - Nonresidents Working in Alaska 2017 Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.pdf SL&C 4/16/2019 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 50
SB 76 Version A.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Work Draft Ver. M.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Sponsor Statement ver. M.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Sectional Analysis Ver M.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Explanation of changes Ver A to M.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Supporting Documents 2015 DOL Subcommittee Narrative.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Supporting Documents Legislative Finance Fund Source Report.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Supporting Documents Legislative Research Report 19-175.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Supporting Documents Fall 2019 Revenue Sources Book Pages.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76
SB 76 Supporting Documents OMB Component Summary.pdf SL&C 1/28/2020 1:30:00 PM
SL&C 1/30/2020 1:30:00 PM
SB 76