STAND. COM. REP. NO. 331

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 912

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 912 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require employers to pay within 60 days of billing for all medical services related to compensable injury and rehabilitation of the employee under a workers' compensation claim; and

(2) Establish a process for employers to dispute the payment of an employee's medical bill.

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, Work Injury Medical Association of Hawaii, and a few individuals testified in support of this measure. The Hawaiian Electric Companies opposed this measure. The Department of Human Resources Development, City and County of Honolulu Department of Human Resources, Hawaii Insurers Council, Automated HealthCare Solutions, and an individual provided comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the process for employers to dispute the payment of an employee's medical bill related to compensable injury and rehabilitation by eliminating conflicting provisions in the measure; and

(2) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 912, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 912, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair