Legislature(1999 - 2000)
04/14/2000 03:32 PM House RLS
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 14, 2000
3:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative John Cowdery, Chairman
Representative Brian Porter
Representative Joe Green
Representative Pete Kott
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Gail Phillips
Representative Ethan Berkowitz
Representative Reggie Joule
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 419
"An Act relating to the weekly rate of compensation and minimum and
maximum compensation rates for workers' compensation; specifying
components of a workers' compensation reemployment plan; adjusting
workers' compensation benefits for permanent partial impairment,
for reemployment plans, for rehabilitation benefits, for widows,
widowers, and orphans, and for funerals; relating to permanent
total disability of an employee receiving rehabilitation benefits;
relating to calculation of gross weekly earnings for workers'
compensation benefits for seasonal and temporary workers and for
workers with overtime or premium pay; setting time limits for
requesting a hearing on claims for workers' compensation, for
selecting a rehabilitation specialist, and for payment of medical
bills; relating to termination and to waiver of rehabilitation
benefits, obtaining medical releases, and resolving discovery
disputes relating to workers' compensation; setting an interest
rate for late payments of workers' compensation; providing for
updating the workers' compensation medical fee schedule; and
providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSHB 419(RLS) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 419
SHORT TITLE: WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
2/23/00 2279 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
2/23/00 2279 (H) L&C, JUD, FIN
3/08/00 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
3/08/00 (H) Heard & Held
3/08/00 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
3/17/00 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
3/17/00 (H) Heard & Held
3/17/00 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
3/20/00 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
3/20/00 (H) Heard & Held
3/20/00 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
3/27/00 (H) L&C AT 3:15 PM CAPITOL 17
3/27/00 (H) Moved CSHB 419(L&C) Out of Committee
3/27/00 (H) MINUTE(L&C)
3/29/00 2750 (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) NT 1DP 5NR
3/29/00 2751 (H) DP: ROKEBERG; NR: MURKOWSKI, HARRIS,
3/29/00 2751 (H) CISSNA, SANDERS, HALCRO
3/29/00 2751 (H) 3 FNS (UA, LABOR, GOV/ALL DEPTS)
4/03/00 (H) JUD AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 120
4/03/00 (H) Moved CSHB 419(JUD) Out of Committee
4/03/00 (H) MINUTE(JUD)
4/05/00 2869 (H) JUD RPT CS(JUD) 2DP 3NR 1AM
4/05/00 2869 (H) DP: ROKEBERG, KOTT; NR: MURKOWSKI,
4/05/00 2869 (H) KERTTULA, JAMES; AM: CROFT
4/05/00 2869 (H) 3 FNS (GOV/ALL DEPTS, LABOR,
UA)3/29/00
4/07/00 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519
4/07/00 (H) Heard & Held
4/07/00 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
4/12/00 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519
4/12/00 (H) Moved CSHB 419(FIN) Out of Committee
4/12/00 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
4/13/00 3107 (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) NT 4DP 7NR
4/13/00 3108 (H) DP: MULDER, DAVIES, WILLIAMS,
PHILLIPS;
4/13/00 3108 (H) NR: THERRIAULT, BUNDE, AUSTERMAN,
4/13/00 3108 (H) GRUSSENDORF, MOSES, DAVIS, FOSTER
4/13/00 3108 (H) LETTER OF INTENT WITH H.FIN REPORT
4/13/00 3109 (H) 3 FNS (GOV/ALL DEPTS, LABOR,
UA)3/29/00
4/13/00 3109 (H) REFERRED TO RULES
4/14/00 (H) RLS AT 3:30 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
JANET SEITZ, Staff
to Representative Rokeberg
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 24
Juneau, Alaska 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed the difference between the House
Finance version and the House Rules version of HB 419.
ALLEN WILSON, President
Alaska State Home Builders Association
No address provided.
POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed the association's withdrawal for the
amendment included in the House Finance version.
DWIGHT PERKINS, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Labor & Workforce Development
PO Box 21149
Juneau, Alaska 99802-1149
POSITION STATEMENT: Agreed to work with the Alaska State
Homebuilders Association on this issue.
CHARLIE MILLER
Alaska National Insurance
Address not provided.
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified that this is a problem for both the
insured and the insurers.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 00-5, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the House Rules Standing Committee
meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. Members present at the call to order
were Representatives Cowdery, Porter, Green and Kott.
HB 419-WORKERS' COMPENSATION
CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced that the only order of business before
the committee would be HOUSE BILL NO. 419, "An Act relating to the
weekly rate of compensation and minimum and maximum compensation
rates for workers' compensation; specifying components of a
workers' compensation reemployment plan; adjusting workers'
compensation benefits for permanent partial impairment, for
reemployment plans, for rehabilitation benefits, for widows,
widowers, and orphans, and for funerals; relating to permanent
total disability of an employee receiving rehabilitation benefits;
relating to calculation of gross weekly earnings for workers'
compensation benefits for seasonal and temporary workers and for
workers with overtime or premium pay; setting time limits for
requesting a hearing on claims for workers' compensation, for
selecting a rehabilitation specialist, and for payment of medical
bills; relating to termination and to waiver of rehabilitation
benefits, obtaining medical releases, and resolving discovery
disputes relating to workers' compensation; setting an interest
rate for late payments of workers' compensation; providing for
updating the workers' compensation medical fee schedule; and
providing for an effective date."
Number 0075
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to adopt CSHB 419, version M, as the
working document before the committee. There being no objection,
it was so ordered and version M was before the committee. [The
House Finance Committee letter of intent was not adopted.]
JANET SEITZ, Staff to Representative Rokeberg, Alaska State
Legislature, informed the committee that she was present on behalf
of the House Labor & Commerce Committee, which is the sponsor of HB
419. She explained that HB 419 is a bill that was developed by the
Ad Hoc Committee on Workers' Compensation, which is composed of
labor and management representatives that worked in conjunction
with the Division of Workers' Compensation in order to update the
workers' compensation law.
MS. SEITZ turned to the changes between the House Finance and the
House Rules version. In the House Finance Committee, there was an
amendment added relating to subcontractors and how they are treated
under workers' compensation. The House Rules committee substitute
removes that amendment, which was inserted at the request of the
Alaska Homebuilders Association. The Alaska [State] Homebuilders
Association agreed to remove the amendment as it is an issue that
will take more study. Furthermore, the ad hoc group is
uncomfortable with that amendment because it has not had a chance
to thoroughly review the amendment.
Number 0194
ALLEN WILSON, President, Alaska State Homebuilders Association,
remarked that this subcontractor issue is important and the hope
was that this would clarify the current statutes and provide some
relief to the members of the Alaska State Homebuilders Association
as well as others in the same situation. However, he realized that
the association needs some allies to make this work. The members
of the ad hoc committee are those allies who will eventually
develop a solution to this problem. In working with the ad hoc
committee, the association has agreed to withdraw the amendment and
continue working on resolution of this issue.
Number 0269
DWIGHT PERKINS, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor &
Workforce Development (DOLWD), noted that DOLWD is committed to
working with the association in order to reach a resolution on this
issue. Mr. Perkins said that DOLWD supports the amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE KOTT asked if Mr. Perkins will have a recommendation
on this issue for next year's legislature.
MR. PERKINS replied yes and reiterated that the department will
work with the association over the interim.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY asked if the [Alaska State] Homebuilders
[Association] is the only group with problems.
Number 0335
CHARLIE MILLER, Alaska National Insurance, informed the committee
that he agrees with the Homebuilders Association on this issue. He
noted that Alaska National Insurance has coverage for some of the
small groups and it is a problem for both the insured and the
insurers. Therefore, he offered to help in order to clarify this.
He assumed that the House Rules Committee is proposing to take out
the amendment and the letter of intent, which he agreed didn't
resolve the mutual problem. In response to Representative Green,
Mr. Miller agreed to work on this over the interim.
Number 0406
REPRESENTATIVE PORTER moved to report CSHB 419, version M, out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered and CSHB
419(RLS) was reported from the House Rules Standing Committee.
[Please note that the House Finance Committee letter of intent was
not adopted and thus was not reported out of the House Rules
Committee.]
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:36 p.m.
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