By: Duncan S.B. No. 800
(Elkins)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the qualifications and operations of workers'
compensation data collection agents.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 401.024, Labor Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to
read as follows:
(c) The commissioner may designate and contract with one or
more [a] data collection agents [agent] to fulfill the data
collection requirements of this subtitle. To qualify as a data
collection agent, an organization must demonstrate at least five
years of experience in data collection, data maintenance, data
quality control, accounting, and related areas.
(e) A data collection agent may collect from a reporting
insurance carrier, other than a governmental entity, any fees
necessary for the agent to recover the necessary and reasonable
costs of collecting data from that reporting insurance carrier.
(f) A reporting insurance carrier, other than a
governmental entity, shall pay the fee to the data collection agent
for the data collection services provided by the data collection
agent.
(g) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement
this section.
SECTION 2. Subsection (c), Section 406.009, Labor Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(c) The commissioner may designate a data collection agent,
implement an electronic reporting and public information access
program, and adopt rules as necessary to implement the data
collection requirements of this subchapter. The commissioner may
establish the form, manner, and procedure for the transmission of
information to the division. A data collection agent designated
under this subsection must be qualified and may collect fees in the
manner described by Section 401.024.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.