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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 1013 By: Daniels of the Senate
and
Kannady of the House
[ workers’ compensation - litigation and
investigatory files - authorizing Workers’
Compensation Commission to keep certain files
confidential –
emergency ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 51 O.S. 2011, Section 24A.12, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 24A.12. Except as otherwise provided by state or local
law, the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma and agency
attorneys authorized by law, the Workers’ Compensation Commission,
the office of the district attorney of any county of the state, and
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the office of the municipal attorney of any municipality may keep
its litigation files and investigatory reports confidential.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 40, Chapter 208, O.S.L.
2013, as amended by Section 16 , Chapter 476, O.S.L. 2019 (85A O.S.
Supp. 2020, Section 40), is amended to read as follows:
Section 40. A. 1. Any employer who fails to secure
compensation required under this act the Administrative Workers’
Compensation Act, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and subject to a fine of up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to
be deposited in the Workers ’ Compensation Commission Revolving Fund.
2. This subsection shall not affect any other liability of the
employer under this act the Administrative Workers’ Compensation
Act.
B. 1. Whenever the Workers ’ Compensation Commission has reason
to believe that any employer required to secure the payment of
compensation under this act the Administrative Workers’ Compensation
Act has failed to do so, the Commission shall serve on the employer
a proposed judgment declaring the employer to be in violation of
this act the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act and containing
the amount, if any, of the civil penalty to be assessed against the
employer under paragraph 5 of this subsection.
2. a. An employer may contest a proposed judgment of the
Commission issued under paragraph 1 of this subsection
by filing with the Commission, within twenty (20) days
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of receipt of the proposed judgment, a written r equest
for a hearing.
b. The request for a hearing does not need to be in any
particular form but shall specify the grounds on which
the person contests the proposed judgment, the
proposed assessment, or both.
c. If a written request for hearing is not fil ed with the
Commission within the time specified in subparagraph a
of this paragraph, the proposed judgment, the proposed
penalty, or both, shall be a final judgment of the
Commission and shall not be subject to further review
by any court, except if the e mployer shows good cause
why it did not timely contest the judgment or penalty.
d. A proposed judgment by the Commission under this
section shall be prima facie correct, and the burden
is on the employer to prove that the proposed judgment
is incorrect.
3. a. If the employer alleges that a carrier has contracted
to provide it workers ’ compensation insurance coverage
for the period in question, the employer shall include
the allegation in its request for hearing and shall
name the carrier.
b. The Commission shall promptly notify the carrier of
the employer’s allegation and of the date of hearing.
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c. The carrier shall promptly, and no later than five (5)
days before the hearing, respond in writing to the
employer’s allegation by providing evidence of
coverage for the period in question or by
affirmatively denying the employer ’s allegation.
4. Hearings under this section shall be procedurally conducted
as provided in Sections 69 through 78 of this title.
5. The Commission may assess a fine against an employer who
fails to secure the payment of compensation in an amount up to One
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per day of violation payable to the
Workers’ Compensation Commission Revolving Fund, not to exceed a
total of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) for the fi rst
violation.
6. If an employer fails to secure the payment of compensation
or pay any civil penalty assessed against the employer after a
judgment issued under this section has become final by operation of
law or on appeal, the Commission may petition t he Oklahoma County
District Court or the district court of the county where the
employer’s principal place of business is located for an order
enjoining the employer from engaging in further employment until
such time as the employer secures the payment of compensation or
makes full payment of all civil penalties.
7. Upon any penalty becoming final under this section, the
Commission may institute collection proceedings against any assets
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of the employer independently or in district court including, but
not limited to, an asset hearing, garnishment of income and wages,
judgment lien, or an intercept of an income tax refund consistent
with Section 205.2 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
8. Information subject to subsection A or B of Section 4 -508 of
Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes may be disclosed to the employees
of the Commission for purposes of investigation and enforcement of
workers’ compensation coverage requirements pursuant to this title,
and such information shall be admissible in any hearing b efore an
administrative law judge of the Commission.
9. Litigation files and investigatory reports of the Commission
arising from enforcement of the provisions of this section shall be
confidential pursuant to Section 24A.12 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma
Statutes.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY Section 105, Chapter 208, O.S.L.
2013 (85A O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 105), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 105. A. No employee of the Workers ’ Compensation
Commission shall be competent to tes tify on any matter concerning
any information the employee has received through the performance of
the employee’s duties under the provisions of this act the
Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act ; provided, however, such
provision shall not be construed to prohibit testimony by an
attorney of the Compliance Division of the Commission or an
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investigator of the Division called to provide testimony by the
attorney.
B. The commissioners and employees of the Commission shall not
solicit employment for any at torney or physician nor shall they
recommend or refer any claimant or employer to an attorney or
physician. If any employee of the Commission makes such a
solicitation, recommendation or reference, that person, upon
conviction, shall be guilty of a misdem eanor punishable, for each
offense, by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00)
or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one (1) year, or
by both such fine and imprisonment. The Commission shall
immediately terminate the employm ent of any employee who is guilty
of such solicitation, recommendation or reference. A commissioner
guilty of such solicitation, recommendation or reference shall be
subject to removal from office.
C. No administrative law judge shall engage in any ex pa rte
communication with any party to an action pending before the
Commission or with any witness or medical provider regarding the
merits of a specific matter pending before the judge for resolution.
Any violation of this provision shall subject the judge to
disqualification from the action or matter upon presentation of an
application for disqualification.
SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY - CIVIL, dated
03/30/2021 - DO PASS, As Amended.