‘Resolve, To Study Shortcomings in Workers' Compensation Insurance for Emergency First Responders’
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. Workers' Compensation Board to study shortcomings in workers' compensation insurance coverage for emergency first responders. Resolved: That the Workers' Compensation Board shall conduct a study to examine shortcomings in workers' compensation insurance coverage for emergency first responders and develop a proposed solution or solutions to ensure that emergency first responders receive workers' compensation insurance coverage that provides coverage from the time an emergency call is received until the time that the emergency first responders' duties have ended, otherwise known as tone-to-tone coverage. The study must include, but is not limited to, examining the following options: using an existing state insurance program to cover emergency first responders; establishing a state-run insurance program to provide more comprehensive insurance coverage for emergency first responders; and requiring an automatic administrative law judge review of any denied workers' compensation claims involving emergency first responders; and be it further
Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That the Workers' Compensation Board shall report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development by December 15, 2017. The committee may report out a bill in response to this report in the Second Regular Session of the 128th Legislature; and be it further
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following appropriations and allocations are made.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD
Administration - Workers' Compensation Board 0183
Initiative: Allocates one-time funds for contracted services to study the shortcomings in workers' compensation insurance coverage for emergency first responders.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
|
All Other
|
$15,000 | $0 |
 |
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $15,000 | $0 |
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development, replaces the bill with a resolve directing the Workers' Compensation Board to study shortcomings in workers' compensation insurance coverage for emergency first responders and to report its findings and proposed solutions to the joint standing committee by December 15, 2017. The joint standing committee has authority to report out a bill in response to this report in the Second Regular Session of the 128th Legislature. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)