HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

104

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO STREAMLINE THE STATE'S WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROCESS.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the purpose of the State's workers' compensation law is to provide wage loss compensation and medical care to employees for work-related injuries; and

 

     WHEREAS, workers' compensation claims are processed by the Disability Compensation Division of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; and

 

     WHEREAS, the current workers' compensation system is, at times, inadequate in providing timely relief to workers injured in the course of their employment; and

 

     WHEREAS, injured claimants have experienced significant delays in the processing of their workers' compensation claims; and

 

     WHEREAS, injured claimants have complained that scheduling an independent medical examination can take longer than a year despite repeated requests and inquiries; and

 

     WHEREAS, payments following the execution of a settlement agreement have also been known to take over six months to process; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is requested to convene a working group to streamline the State's workers' compensation process under chapter 386, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the working group consider streamlining the filing process for workers' compensation claims by converting to a computerized system; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations or the Department's Deputy Director is requested to serve as Chairperson of the working group and to invite the following to serve as members:

 

     (1)  The Director of Human Resources Development or the Director's designee;

 

     (2)  Insurers that issue workers' compensation insurance policies in the State;

 

     (3)  Attorneys who represent employers and employees in workers' compensation claims;

 

     (4)  A representative of a mutual benefit society operating in the State;

 

     (5)  A representative of a health maintenance organization operating in the State;

 

     (6)  Health care providers; and

 

     (7)  Any other persons deemed appropriate by the Chairperson of the working group; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are each requested to appoint one person to serve as a member of the working group; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Director of Human Resources Development.

Report Title: 

Workers' Compensation; Working Group