EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0177*
SENATE BILL 177
K3 EMERGENCY BILL 2lr0008
(PRE–FILED)
By: Chair, Finance Committee (By Request – Departmental – Uninsured
Employers’ Fund)
Requested: October 21, 2021
Introduced and read first time: January 12, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Uninsured Employers’ Fund – Payments to Former Employees of Bethlehem 2
Steel Corporation 3
FOR the purpose of altering the workers’ compensation benefits that the Director of the 4
Uninsured Employers’ Fund is required to pay to former employees of the Bethlehem 5
Steel Corporation; applying this Act retroactively; and generally relating to the 6
Uninsured Employers’ Fund. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Labor and Employment 9
Section 10–314 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Labor and Employment 15
10–314. 16
(a) The Fund shall consist of: 17
(1) the money credited to the Fund under Title 9 of this article; 18
(2) income from investments that the State Treasurer makes for the Fund; 19
and 20
(3) interest on deposits or investments of money from the Fund. 21 2 SENATE BILL 177
(b) Subject to subsection (d) of this section, the Director shall use the Fund to pay: 1
(1) each award under Title 9 of this article charged against the Fund; 2
(2) the amount that the Director authorizes for an expert or witness hired 3
under § 10–310(c) of this subtitle; 4
(3) other proper charges that the Director authorizes; 5
(4) whenever an employer who is self–insured in accordance with § 9–404 6
or § 9–405 of this article becomes insolvent, any outstanding obligations of the employer; 7
and 8
(5) [hearing loss claims for retirees of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation] 9
CAUSALLY RELATED HEA RING LOSS MEDICAL TR EATMENT FOR FORMER 10
EMPLOYEES OF THE BETHLEHEM STEEL CORPORATION . 11
(c) The liability of the Board, Director, Fund, State Treasurer, and State for all 12
proper charges against the Fund is limited to the assets of the Fund. 13
(d) Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the Director may use the Fund to pay for the 14
administration of the Fund only if an appropriation is included in the State budget for this 15
purpose. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 17
apply retroactively and shall be applied to and interpreted to affect any workers’ 18
compensation claims filed before the effective date of this Act. 19
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 20
measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 21
been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 22
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 23
enacted. 24