| 4 | 5 | | |
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| 5 | 6 | | |
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| 6 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 9 | | relating to conducting certain contested case hearings under the |
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| 9 | 10 | | Texas workers' compensation system by remote communication. |
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| 10 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 410, Labor Code, is |
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| 12 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 410.0055 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 14 | | Sec. 410.0055. CONDUCTING CERTAIN CONTESTED CASE HEARINGS |
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| 14 | 15 | | BY REMOTE COMMUNICATION. (a) Notwithstanding Section 410.005(a), |
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| 15 | 16 | | the division may conduct a contested case hearing by |
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| 16 | 17 | | videoconference: |
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| 17 | 18 | | (1) on a determination by the division that good cause |
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| 18 | 19 | | exists for conducting the hearing in that manner; or |
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| 19 | 20 | | (2) on the mutual agreement of the parties. |
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| 20 | 21 | | (b) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 21 | 22 | | implement this section. |
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| 22 | 23 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 23 | 24 | | of this Act, the commissioner of workers' compensation shall adopt |
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| 24 | 25 | | rules to implement Section 410.0055, Labor Code, as added by this |
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| 25 | 26 | | Act. |
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| 26 | 27 | | SECTION 3. Section 410.0055, Labor Code, as added by this |
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| 27 | 28 | | Act, applies to a contested case hearing requested on or after the |
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| 28 | 29 | | effective date of this Act. A contested case hearing requested |
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| 29 | 30 | | before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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| 30 | 31 | | effect on the date the contested case hearing was requested, and the |
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| 31 | 32 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 32 | 33 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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