SB673: Bill Text

SB673,170 Section 170. 102.75 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,72,18 102.75 (1) The department shall assess upon and collect from each licensed worker's compensation insurance carrier and from each employer exempted under s. 102.28 (2) (b) or (bm) from the duty to carry insurance under s. 102.28 (2) (a) the proportion of total costs and expenses incurred by the council on worker's compensation for travel and research and by the department, the division, and the commission in the administration of this chapter for the current fiscal year, plus any deficiencies in collections and anticipated costs from the previous fiscal year, that the total indemnity paid or payable under this chapter by each such carrier and exempt employer in worker's compensation cases initially closed during the preceding calendar year, other than for increased, double, or treble compensation, bore to the total indemnity paid in cases closed the previous calendar year under this chapter by all carriers and exempt employers, other than for increased, double, or treble compensation. The council on worker's compensation, the division, and the commission shall annually certify any costs and expenses for worker's compensation activities to the department at such time as the secretary requires.

SB673,171 Section 171 . 102.75 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,72,24 102.75 (1m) The moneys collected under subs. (1) and (1g) and under ss. 102.28 (2) and 102.31 (7), together with all accrued interest, shall constitute a separate nonlapsible fund designated as the worker's compensation operations fund. Moneys in the fund may be expended only as provided in ss. 20.427 (1) (ra) and 20.445 (1) (ra), (rb), (rc), and (rp) and may not be used for any other purpose of the state.

SB673,172 Section 172 . 102.80 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,73,2 102.80 (1) (d) Amounts collected from employees or dependents of employees under s. 102.81 (4) (b) and (c).

SB673,173 Section 173 . 102.81 (4) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,73,6 102.81 (4) (b) (intro.) If the employee or dependent receives compensation from the employee's employer or a 3rd party liable under s. 102.29, pay to the department the lesser of the following:

SB673,174 Section 174 . 102.81 (4) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,73,9 102.81 (4) (b) 2. The amount after attorney fees and costs that the employee or dependent received from the employer or 3rd party.

SB673,175 Section 175 . 102.81 (4) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

SB673,73,13 102.81 (4) (c) If the employee or dependent receives compensation from a 3rd party that is liable under s. 102.29, pay to the department the proceeds as specified under s. 102.29 (1) (b).

SB673,176 Section 176 . 102.81 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,73,16 102.81 (5) The department of justice may bring an action to collect the a payment under sub. (4) (b) or (c).

SB673,177 Section 177 . 102.82 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,74,2 102.82 (1) Except as provided in sub. (2) (ar), an uninsured employer shall reimburse the department for any payment made under s. 102.81 (1) to or on behalf of an employee of the uninsured employer or to an employee's dependents and for any expenses paid by the department in administering the claim of the employee or dependents, less amounts repaid by the employee or dependents under s. 102.81 (4) (b) or (c). The reimbursement owed under this subsection is due within 30 days after the date on which the department notifies the uninsured employer that the reimbursement is owed. Interest shall accrue on amounts not paid when due at the rate of 1 percent per month.

SB673,178 Section 178 . 146.82 (2) (a) 3m. of the statutes is created to read:

SB673,74,5 146.82 (2) (a) 3m. To the extent the records are necessary to process, adjudicate, or review claims under the worker's compensation system or to comply with ch. 102.

SB673,179 Section 179. 227.43 (1) (bm) of the statutes is repealed.

SB673,180 Section 180. 227.43 (2) (am) of the statutes is repealed.

SB673,181 Section 181. 227.43 (3) (bm) of the statutes is repealed.

SB673,182 Section 182. 227.43 (4) (bm) of the statutes is repealed.

SB673,183 Section 183 . Nonstatutory provisions.

SB673,74,15 (1) Worker's compensation insurance; rate approval; notice. The commissioner of insurance shall submit to the legislative reference bureau for publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register a notice of the effective date of new rates for worker's compensation insurance first approved by the commissioner after the effective date of this subsection.

SB673,74,16 (2) Transfer of worker's compensation adjudicatory functions.

SB673,74,21 (a) Assets and liabilities. On the effective date of this paragraph, the assets and liabilities of the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration that are primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, shall become the assets and liabilities of the department of workforce development.

SB673,75,2 (b) Positions and employees. On the effective date of this paragraph, all positions and all incumbent employees holding those positions in the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration performing duties that are primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, are transferred to the department of workforce development.

SB673,75,8 (c) Employee status. Employees transferred under par. (b) have all the rights and the same status under ch. 230 in the department of workforce development that they enjoyed in the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration immediately before the transfer. Notwithstanding s. 230.28 (4), no employee so transferred who has attained permanent status in class is required to serve a probationary period.

SB673,75,13 (d) Tangible personal property. On the effective date of this paragraph, all tangible personal property, including records, of the the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration that is primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, is transferred to the department of workforce development.

SB673,75,20 (e) Pending matters. Any worker's compensation matter pending with the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration on the effective date of this paragraph, as determined by the secretary of administration, is transferred to the department of workforce development. All materials submitted to or actions taken by the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration with respect to the pending matter are considered as having been submitted to or taken by the department of workforce development.

SB673,76,2 (f) Contracts. All contracts entered into by the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration in effect on the effective date of this paragraph that are primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, remain in effect and are transferred to the department of workforce development. The department of workforce development shall carry out any obligations under those contracts unless modified or rescinded by the department of workforce development to the extent allowed under the contract.

SB673,76,12 (g) Rules and orders. All rules promulgated by the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration in effect on the effective date of this paragraph that are primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, remain in effect until their specified expiration dates or until amended or repealed by the department of workforce development. All orders issued by the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration in effect on the effective date of this paragraph that are primarily related to worker's compensation matters, as determined by the secretary of administration, remain in effect until their specified expiration dates or until modified or rescinded by the department of workforce development.

SB673,76,16 (3) Position transfer. The authorized FTE positions for the department of workforce development are increased by 35.5 SEG positions to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (ra), for performing duties related to conducting hearings under ch. 102.

SB673,184 Section 184 . Fiscal changes.

SB673,76,21 (1) On the effective date of this subsection, there is transferred from the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (t) to the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (rc) the unencumbered balance of the amount collected under s. 102.75 (1g).

SB673,76,25 (2) In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of workforce development under s. 20.445 (1) (ra), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by $275,000 to provide funding for previously authorized positions providing services for the worker's compensation division.

SB673,77,5 (3) In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration under s. 20.505 (4) (kp), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is decreased by $4,800,000 to decrease the authorized positions for the division by 35.5 PR positions performing duties related to conducting hearings under ch. 102.

SB673,77,10 (4) In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of workforce development under s. 20.445 (1) (ra), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by $9,000 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 0.2 SEG position for the performance of services for the worker's compensation division.

SB673,185 Section 185 . Initial applicability.

SB673,77,14 (1) The treatment of ss. 102.80 (1) (d), 102.81 (4) (b) (intro.) and 2. and (c) and (5), and 102.82 (1) first applies to actions filed under s. 102.29 on the effective date of this subsection.

SB673,77,18 (2) The treatment of ss. 102.17 (9), 102.42 (1) and (1p), and 102.44 (7) first applies to injuries reported on the effective date of rate changes for worker's compensation insurance approved by the commissioner of insurance under s. 626.13 after the effective date of this subsection.

SB673,186 Section 186. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

SB673,78,12 (1) The treatment of ss. 40.65 (2) (a) and (b) 3. and 4., 102.01 (2) (ad), (ar), and (dm), 102.04 (2r) (b), 102.07 (8) (c), 102.11 (1) (am) 1., 102.12, 102.13 (1) (c), (d) 2., and 3., and (f), (2) (a), (3), (4), and (5), 102.14 (title), (1), and (2), 102.15 (1) and (2), 102.16 (1), (1m) (a), (b), and (c), (2) (a) and (b), (2m) (a) and (b), and (4), 102.17 (1) (a) 1., 2., 3., and 4., (b), (c) 1., (d) 1., 2., 3., and 4., (e), (f) 1., (g), and (h), (2), (2m), (2s), (7) (b) and (c), and (8), 102.175 (2) and (3) (c), 102.18 (1) (b) 1., 2., and 3., (bg) 1., 2., and 3., (bp), (bw), (c), and (e), (2), (3), (4) (c) 3. and (d), (5), and (6), 102.195, 102.22 (1) and (2), 102.23 (2), (3), and (5), 102.24 (2), 102.25 (1), 102.26 (2), (3) (b) 1. and 3., and (4), 102.27 (2) (b), 102.28 (3) (c) and (4) (c), 102.29 (1) (b) (intro.), (c), and (d), 102.30 (7) (a), 102.32 (1m) (intro.), (a), and (c), and (d), (5), (6m), and (7), 102.33 (1) and (2) (a), (b) (intro.), 1., 2., and 4., (c), and (d) 2., 102.35 (3), 102.42 (1m), (6), and (8), 102.425 (4m) (a) and (b), 102.43 (5) (b), 102.44 (2) and (6) (b), 102.475 (6), 102.48 (1), (2), and (3), 102.49 (3) and (6), 102.51 (3), (4), and (6), 102.55 (3), 102.555 (12) (a), 102.56 (1) and (2), 102.565 (1), (2), and (3), 102.61 (1g) (c), (1m) (c), and (2), 102.62, 102.64 (1) and (2), 102.65 (3), 102.66 (1), 102.75 (1), and 227.43 (1) (bm), (2) (am), (3) (bm), and (4) (bm) and Sections 183 (2) (a ), (d), (e), (f ), and (g) and 184 (3 ) take effect on July 1, 2020.

SB673,78,13 (2) Section 183 (2 ) (b) and (c) and (3 ) of this act takes effect on July 5, 2020.

SB673,78,14 (End)