SB673,52,2 102.32 (6m) The department or the division may direct an advance on a payment of unaccrued compensation for permanent disability or death benefits if the department or the division determines that the advance payment is in the best interest of the injured employee or the employee's dependents. In directing the advance, the department or the division shall give the employer or the employer's insurer an interest credit against its liability. The credit shall be computed at 5 percent. An injured employee or dependent may receive no more than 3 advance payments per calendar year.

SB673,119 Section 119. 102.32 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,52,7 102.32 (7) No lump sum settlement shall be allowed in any case of permanent total disability upon an estimated life expectancy, except upon consent of all parties, after hearing and finding by the division department that the interests of the injured employee will be conserved by the lump sum settlement.

SB673,120 Section 120. 102.33 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,52,13 102.33 (1) The department and the division shall print and furnish free to any employer or employee any blank forms that are necessary to facilitate efficient administration of this chapter. The department and the division shall keep any record books or records that are necessary for the proper and efficient administration of this chapter.

SB673,121 Section 121. 102.33 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,52,17 102.33 (2) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), the records of the department, the division, and the commission, related to the administration of this chapter are subject to inspection and copying under s. 19.35 (1).

SB673,122 Section 122. 102.33 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,53,6 102.33 (2) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in this paragraph and par. (d), a record maintained by the department, the division, or the commission that reveals the identity of an employee who claims worker's compensation benefits, the nature of the employee's claimed injury, the employee's past or present medical condition, the extent of the employee's disability, or the amount, type, or duration of benefits paid to the employee and a record maintained by the department that reveals any financial information provided to the department by a self-insured employer or by an applicant for exemption under s. 102.28 (2) (b) are confidential and not open to public inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1). The department , the division, or the commission may deny a request made under s. 19.35 (1) or, subject to s. 102.17 (2m) and (2s), refuse to honor a subpoena issued by an attorney of record in a civil or criminal action or special proceeding to inspect and copy a record that is confidential under this paragraph, unless one of the following applies:

SB673,123 Section 123. 102.33 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,53,12 102.33 (2) (b) 1. The requester is the employee who is the subject of the record or an attorney or authorized agent of that employee. An attorney or authorized agent of an employee who is the subject of a record shall provide a written authorization for inspection and copying from the employee if requested by the department, the division, or the commission.

SB673,124 Section 124. 102.33 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,53,25 102.33 (2) (b) 2. The record that is requested contains confidential information concerning a worker's compensation claim and the requester is an insurance carrier or employer that is a party to any worker's compensation claim involving the same employee or an attorney or authorized agent of that insurance carrier or employer, except that the department, the division, or the commission is not required to do a random search of its records and may require the requester to provide the approximate date of the injury and any other relevant information that would assist the department, the division, or the commission in finding the record requested. An attorney or authorized agent of an insurance carrier or employer that is a party to an employee's worker's compensation claim shall provide a written authorization for inspection and copying from the insurance carrier or employer if requested by the department, the division, or the commission.

SB673,125 Section 125. 102.33 (2) (b) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,54,3 102.33 (2) (b) 4. A court of competent jurisdiction in this state orders the department, the division, or the commission to release the record.

SB673,126 Section 126 . 102.33 (2) (b) 7. of the statutes is created to read:

SB673,54,10 102.33 (2) (b) 7. The requester is the department of health services, a county department of social services under s. 46.215 or 46.22, or a county department of human services under s. 46.23, and the request is limited to the name and address of the employee who is the subject of the record, the name and address of the employee's employer, and any financial information about that employee contained in the record.

SB673,127 Section 127. 102.33 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,54,17 102.33 (2) (c) A record maintained by the department , the division, or the commission that contains employer or insurer information obtained from the Wisconsin compensation rating bureau under s. 102.31 (8) or 626.32 (1) (a) is confidential and not open to public inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1) unless the Wisconsin compensation rating bureau authorizes public inspection or copying of that information.

SB673,128 Section 128. 102.33 (2) (d) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,55,9 102.33 (2) (d) 2. The department, the division, or the commission may release information that is confidential under par. (b) to a government unit, an institution of higher education, or a nonprofit research organization for purposes of research and may release information that is confidential under par. (c) to those persons for that purpose if the Wisconsin compensation rating bureau authorizes that release. A government unit, institution of higher education, or nonprofit research organization may not permit inspection or disclosure of any information released to it under this subdivision that is confidential under par. (b) unless the department, the division, or the commission authorizes that inspection or disclosure and may not permit inspection or disclosure of any information released to it under this subdivision that is confidential under par. (c) unless the department, the division, or the commission, and the Wisconsin compensation rating bureau, authorize the inspection or disclosure. A government unit, institution of higher education, or nonprofit research organization that obtains any confidential information under this subdivision for purposes of research shall provide the results of that research free of charge to the person that released or authorized the release of that information.

SB673,129 Section 129. 102.35 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,55,19 102.35 (3) Any employer who without reasonable cause refuses to rehire an employee who is injured in the course of employment, when suitable employment is available within the employee's physical and mental limitations, upon order of the department or the division, has exclusive liability to pay to the employee, in addition to other benefits, the wages lost during the period of such refusal, not exceeding one year's wages. In determining the availability of suitable employment the continuance in business of the employer shall be considered and any written rules promulgated by the employer with respect to seniority or the provisions of any collective bargaining agreement with respect to seniority shall govern.

SB673,130 Section 130. 102.42 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,56,17 102.42 (1) Treatment of employee. The Subject to the limitations under sub. (1p), the employer shall supply such medical, surgical, chiropractic, psychological, podiatric, dental, and hospital treatment, medicines, medical and surgical supplies, crutches, artificial members, appliances, and training in the use of artificial members and appliances, or, at the option of the employee, Christian Science treatment in lieu of medical treatment, medicines, and medical supplies, as may be reasonably required to cure and relieve from the effects of the injury, and to attain efficient use of artificial members and appliances, and in case of the employer's neglect or refusal seasonably to do so, or in emergency until it is practicable for the employee to give notice of injury, the employer shall be liable for the reasonable expense incurred by or on behalf of the employee in providing such treatment, medicines, supplies, and training. When the employer has knowledge of the injury and the necessity for treatment, the employer's failure to tender the necessary treatment, medicines, supplies, and training constitutes such neglect or refusal. The employer shall also be liable for reasonable expense incurred by the employee for necessary treatment to cure and relieve the employee from the effects of occupational disease prior to the time that the employee knew or should have known the nature of his or her disability and its relation to employment, and as to such treatment subs. (2) and (3) shall not apply. The obligation to furnish such treatment and appliances shall continue as required to prevent further deterioration in the condition of the employee or to maintain the existing status of such condition whether or not healing is completed.

SB673,131 Section 131. 102.42 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB673,57,3 102.42 (1m) Liability for unnecessary treatment. If an employee who has sustained a compensable injury undertakes in good faith invasive treatment that is generally medically acceptable, but that is unnecessary, the employer shall pay disability indemnity for all disability incurred as a result of that treatment. An employer is not liable for disability indemnity for any disability incurred as a result of any unnecessary treatment undertaken in good faith that is noninvasive or not medically acceptable. This subsection applies to all findings that an employee has sustained a compensable injury, whether the finding results from a hearing, the default of a party, or a compromise or stipulation confirmed by the department or the division.

SB673,132 Section 132. 102.42 (1p) of the statutes is created to read:

SB673,57,8 102.42 (1p) Liability for treatment of certain mental injuries. The employer of an employee whose injury is a mental injury that is compensable under s. 102.17 (9) is liable for the employee's treatment of the mental injury for no more than 32 weeks after the injury is first reported.