SB673,159
10Section
159. 102.565 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,66,2411
102.565
(2) Upon application of any employer or employee
, the department
or
12the division may direct any employee of the employer or an employee who, in the
13course of his or her employment, has been exposed to toxic or hazardous substances
14or conditions to submit to examination by one or more physicians appointed by the
15department
or the division to determine whether the employee has developed any
16abnormality or condition under sub. (1), and the degree of that abnormality or
17condition. The cost of the medical examination shall be borne by the person making
18application. The physician conducting the examination shall submit the results of
19the examination to the department
or the division, which shall submit copies of the
20reports to the employer and employee, who shall have an opportunity to rebut the
21reports if a request to submit a rebuttal is made to the department
or the division 22within 10 days after the department
or the division mails the report to the parties.
23The department
or the division shall make its findings as to whether it is inadvisable
24for the employee to continue in his or her employment.
SB673,160
25Section
160. 102.565 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,67,4
1102.565
(3) If
, after direction by the commission,
or any member of the
2commission, the department,
the division, or an examiner, an employee refuses to
3submit to an examination or in any way obstructs the examination, the employee's
4right to compensation under this section shall be barred.
SB673,161
5Section 161
. 102.58 of the statutes is renumbered 102.58 (1) and amended to
6read:
SB673,67,147
102.58
(1) If injury is caused by the failure of the employee to use safety devices
8that are provided in accordance with any statute, rule, or order of the department
9of safety and professional services and that are adequately maintained, and the use
10of which is reasonably enforced by the employer, or if injury results from the
11employee's failure to obey any reasonable rule adopted and reasonably enforced by
12the employer for the safety of the employee and of which the employee has notice, the
13compensation and death benefit provided in this chapter shall be reduced by 15
14percent
, but the total reduction may not exceed $15,000.
SB673,67,21
15(2) If an employee violates the employer's policy concerning employee drug or
16alcohol use and is injured, and if that violation is causal to the employee's injury, no
17compensation or death benefits shall be payable to the injured employee or a
18dependent of the injured employee
and no payment under s. 102.49 (5) (b) or (c) shall
19be payable. Nothing in this
section subsection shall reduce or eliminate an
20employer's liability for incidental compensation under s. 102.42 (1) to (8) or drug
21treatment under s. 102.425.
SB673,162
22Section
162. 102.61 (1g) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,68,1523
102.61
(1g) (c) On receiving notice that he or she is eligible to receive vocational
24rehabilitation services under
29 USC 701 to
797a, an employee shall provide the
25employer with a written report from a physician, chiropractor, psychologist, or
1podiatrist stating the employee's permanent work restrictions. Within 60 days after
2receiving that report, the employer shall provide to the employee in writing an offer
3of suitable employment, a statement that the employer has no suitable employment
4for the employee, or a report from a physician, chiropractor, psychologist, or
5podiatrist showing that the permanent work restrictions provided by the employee's
6practitioner are in dispute and documentation showing that the difference in work
7restrictions would materially affect either the employer's ability to provide suitable
8employment or a vocational rehabilitation counselor's ability to recommend a
9rehabilitative training program. If the employer and employee cannot resolve the
10dispute within 30 days after the employee receives the employer's report and
11documentation, the employer or employee may request a hearing before the
division 12department to determine the employee's work restrictions. Within 30 days after the
13division department determines the employee's work restrictions, the employer shall
14provide to the employee in writing an offer of suitable employment or a statement
15that the employer has no suitable employment for the employee.
SB673,163
16Section
163. 102.61 (1m) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,69,217
102.61
(1m) (c) The employer or insurance carrier shall pay the reasonable cost
18of any services provided for an employee by a private rehabilitation counselor under
19par. (a) and, subject to the conditions and limitations specified in sub. (1r) (a) to (c)
20and by rule, if the private rehabilitation counselor determines that rehabilitative
21training is necessary, the reasonable cost of the rehabilitative training program
22recommended by that counselor, including the cost of tuition, fees, books,
23maintenance, and travel at the same rate as is provided for state officers and
24employees under s. 20.916 (8). Notwithstanding that the department
or the division 25may authorize under s. 102.43 (5) (b) a rehabilitative training program that lasts
1longer than 80 weeks, a rehabilitative training program that lasts 80 weeks or less
2is presumed to be reasonable.
SB673,164
3Section
164. 102.61 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,69,104
102.61
(2) The
division department, the commission, and the courts shall
5determine the rights and liabilities of the parties under this section in like manner
6and with like effect as the
division department, the commission, and the courts
7determine other issues under this chapter. A determination under this subsection
8may include a determination based on the evidence regarding the cost or scope of the
9services provided by a private rehabilitation counselor under sub. (1m) (a) or the cost
10or reasonableness of a rehabilitative training program developed under sub. (1m) (a).
SB673,165
11Section
165. 102.62 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,70,2
12102.62 Primary and secondary liability; unchangeable. In case of
13liability under s. 102.57 or 102.60, the liability of the employer shall be primary and
14the liability of the insurance carrier shall be secondary. If proceedings are had before
15the
division department for the recovery of that liability, the
division
department 16shall set forth in its award the amount and order of liability as provided in this
17section. Execution shall not be issued against the insurance carrier to satisfy any
18judgment covering that liability until execution has first been issued against the
19employer and has been returned unsatisfied as to any part of that liability. Any
20provision in any insurance policy undertaking to guarantee primary liability or to
21avoid secondary liability for a liability under s. 102.57 or 102.60 is void. If the
22employer has been adjudged bankrupt or has made an assignment for the benefit of
23creditors, if the employer, other than an individual, has gone out of business or has
24been dissolved, or if the employer is a corporation and its charter has been forfeited
25or revoked, the insurer shall be liable for the payment of that liability without
1judgment or execution against the employer, but without altering the primary
2liability of the employer.
SB673,166
3Section
166. 102.64 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,70,154
102.64
(1) Upon request of the department of administration, a representative
5of the department of justice shall represent the state in cases involving payment into
6or out of the state treasury under s. 20.865 (1) (fm), (kr), or (ur) or 102.29. The
7department of justice, after giving notice to the department of administration, may
8compromise the amount of those payments but such compromises shall be subject to
9review by the department
or the division. If the spouse or domestic partner under
10ch. 770 of the deceased employee compromises his or her claim for a primary death
11benefit, the claim of the children of the employee under s. 102.49 shall be
12compromised on the same proportional basis, subject to approval by the department
13or the division. If the persons entitled to compensation on the basis of total
14dependency under s. 102.51 (1) compromise their claim, payments under s. 102.49
15(5) (a) shall be compromised on the same proportional basis.
SB673,167
16Section
167. 102.64 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,71,217
102.64
(2) Upon request of the department of administration, the attorney
18general shall appear on behalf of the state in proceedings upon claims for
19compensation against the state. Except as provided in s. 102.65 (3), the department
20of justice shall represent the interests of the state in proceedings under s. 102.44 (1),
21102.49, 102.59, 102.60, or 102.66. The department of justice may compromise claims
22in those proceedings, but the compromises are subject to review by the department
23or the division. Costs incurred by the department of justice in prosecuting or
24defending any claim for payment into or out of the work injury supplemental benefit
25fund under s. 102.65, including expert witness and witness fees but not including
1attorney fees or attorney travel expenses for services performed under this
2subsection, shall be paid from the work injury supplemental benefit fund.
SB673,168
3Section
168. 102.65 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,71,114
102.65
(3) The department of workforce development may retain the
5department of administration to process, investigate, and pay claims under ss.
6102.44 (1), 102.49, 102.59, and 102.66. If retained by the department of workforce
7development, the department of administration may compromise a claim processed
8by that department, but a compromise made by that department is subject to review
9by the department of workforce development
or the division. The department of
10workforce development shall pay for the services retained under this subsection from
11the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (t).
SB673,169
12Section
169. 102.66 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,72,213
102.66
(1) Subject to any certificate filed under s. 102.65 (4), if there is an
14otherwise meritorious claim for occupational disease, or for a traumatic injury
15described in s. 102.17 (4) in which the date of injury or death or last payment of
16compensation, other than for treatment or burial expenses, is before April 1, 2006,
17and if the claim is barred solely by the statute of limitations under s. 102.17 (4), the
18department
or the division may, in lieu of worker's compensation benefits, direct
19payment from the work injury supplemental benefit fund under s. 102.65 of such
20compensation and such medical expenses as would otherwise be due, based on the
21date of injury, to or on behalf of the injured employee. The benefits shall be
22supplemental, to the extent of compensation liability, to any disability or medical
23benefits payable from any group insurance policy whose premium is paid in whole
24or in part by any employer, or under any federal insurance or benefit program
1providing disability or medical benefits. Death benefits payable under any such
2group policy do not limit the benefits payable under this section.
SB673,170
3Section
170. 102.75 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,72,184
102.75
(1) The department shall assess upon and collect from each licensed
5worker's compensation insurance carrier and from each employer exempted under
6s. 102.28 (2) (b) or (bm) from the duty to carry insurance under s. 102.28 (2) (a) the
7proportion of total costs and expenses incurred by the council on worker's
8compensation for travel and research and by the department
, the division, and the
9commission in the administration of this chapter for the current fiscal year, plus any
10deficiencies in collections and anticipated costs from the previous fiscal year, that the
11total indemnity paid or payable under this chapter by each such carrier and exempt
12employer in worker's compensation cases initially closed during the preceding
13calendar year, other than for increased, double, or treble compensation, bore to the
14total indemnity paid in cases closed the previous calendar year under this chapter
15by all carriers and exempt employers, other than for increased, double, or treble
16compensation. The council on worker's compensation
, the division, and the
17commission shall annually certify any costs and expenses for worker's compensation
18activities to the department at such time as the secretary requires.
SB673,171
19Section 171
. 102.75 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,72,2420
102.75
(1m) The moneys collected under subs. (1) and (1g) and under ss. 102.28
21(2) and 102.31 (7), together with all accrued interest, shall constitute a separate
22nonlapsible fund designated as the worker's compensation operations fund. Moneys
23in the fund may be expended only as provided in ss. 20.427 (1) (ra) and 20.445 (1) (ra),
24(rb),
(rc), and (rp) and may not be used for any other purpose of the state.
SB673,172
25Section 172
. 102.80 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB673,73,2
1102.80
(1) (d) Amounts collected from employees or dependents of employees
2under s. 102.81 (4) (b)
and (c).