| 1 | 1 | | 84R6253 KKR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Oliveira H.B. No. 2587 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study regarding employers who do not participate in |
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| 8 | 8 | | and injured employees who are not covered under the workers' |
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| 9 | 9 | | compensation system. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. (a) The workers' compensation research and |
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| 12 | 12 | | evaluation group of the division of workers' compensation of the |
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| 13 | 13 | | Texas Department of Insurance shall conduct a study to: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) identify in which industries employers tend to |
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| 15 | 15 | | elect to not participate in the workers' compensation system; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) determine the reasons the employers involved in |
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| 17 | 17 | | the industries identified in Subdivision (1) of this subsection |
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| 18 | 18 | | elect to not participate in the workers' compensation system; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) determine the extent to which injured employees |
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| 20 | 20 | | whose employers elect to not participate in the workers' |
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| 21 | 21 | | compensation system rely on public benefits to: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) receive treatment and rehabilitation for |
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| 23 | 23 | | their injuries; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) replace lost income while unable to return to |
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| 25 | 25 | | work due to their injuries. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The division may require an employer that elects to not |
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| 27 | 27 | | participate in the workers' compensation system to submit |
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| 28 | 28 | | information to the division as necessary to complete the study |
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| 29 | 29 | | under Subsection (a) of this section. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) The commissioner of workers' compensation shall submit |
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| 31 | 31 | | a report containing the findings of the study required under |
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| 32 | 32 | | Subsection (a) of this section to the governor, lieutenant |
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| 33 | 33 | | governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate |
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| 34 | 34 | | standing committees of the legislature not later than September 1, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2016. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires December 31, 2016. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 38 | 38 | | COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 |
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| 39 | 39 | | Amend House Bill No. 2587, on page 1, line 22, after "system" and |
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| 40 | 40 | | before "to" by inserting "or does not offer an alternative |
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| 41 | 41 | | occupational benefit plan". |
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| 42 | 42 | | Simmons |
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| 43 | 43 | | COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 2 |
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| 44 | 44 | | Amend House Bill No. 2587 on Page 2, line 1, by striking subsection |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) and substituting the following: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (c) On request by the workers' compensation research and |
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| 47 | 47 | | evaluation group, the Texas Workforce Commission, Health and Human |
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| 48 | 48 | | Services Commission, the Department of State Health Services, and |
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| 49 | 49 | | the Texas Health Care Information Council shall provide information |
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| 50 | 50 | | to the group or otherwise assist the group in preparing the report. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (d) The commissioner of workers' compensation shall submit |
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| 52 | 52 | | a report containing the findings of the study required under |
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| 53 | 53 | | Subsection (a) of this section to the governor, lieutenant |
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| 54 | 54 | | governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate |
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| 55 | 55 | | standing committees of the legislature not later than December 1, |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2016. |
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| 57 | 57 | | Simmons |
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