STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3360

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2387

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2387, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to determine how best to fund independent medical examinations in workers' compensation cases.

 

     Specifically, this measure establishes a thirteen-member working group on funding for workers' compensation independent medical examinations, to be placed under the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations for administrative purposes, to study and determine the alternative methods or combination of methods of paying impartial physicians to conduct medical examinations in workers' compensation cases.  The working group is to report findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009 and terminates on May 15, 2009.

 

     The Department of Human Resources Development submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that the efforts of the working group will prove valuable to the efficient and equitable conduct of the State's workers' compensation program.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2387, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2387, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair