Bill Summary for Bill Number HB05-1213

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB05-1213

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND LABOR

Votes:

Action Taken:

Moved that HB05-1213 be referred to the Committee

PASS

01:36 PM -- House Bill 05-1213

Representative Buescher presented the bill to the committee. This Joint Budget Committee bill eliminates the collection of data from licensed workers' compensation insurance carriers, including Pinnacol Assurance, and eliminates the annual updating of the Workers' Compensation Closed Claim Study. According to Representative Buescher, the study has not been funded for the past several years. Representative Buescher told the committee that administrative agencies have not used the data for decision making in recent past years either. Representative Buescher responded to questions from the committee.

01:38 PM -- Kirk Yeager, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, provided technical information to the committee. According to Mr. Yeager, this information is available through other mechanisms and the division makes the data available either on their website or through other means.

01:40 PM -- John Berry, representing the Workers' Compensation Coalition, spoke in opposition to the bill. Mr. Berry testified that this data is necessary and should be collected. Mr. Berry conceded that the data need not be collected annually, but at least every three years. Mr. Berry thought that the last time the study was done was in 2000 or 2001. Mr. Berry is not aware of this data being collected through any other mechanism. Mr. Berry responded to questions from the committee.

01:46 PM -- Beth Minahan, representing the Workers' Compensation Education Association, spoke in opposition to the bill. Ms. Minahan is concerned that if the study is discontinued, there may not be a good source of objective data. Ms. Minahan is not aware that this data is available through any other source.

01:49 PM

Representative Marshall asked Representative Buescher about the prospect of doing the study every three years. Representative Buescher testified that given the fact that it has not been funded for several years, even conducting the study every three years may not be practical at this time.

01:51 PM

Representative Buescher responded to additional questions from the committee.


BILL:	HB05-1213
TIME:	01:55:15 PM
MOVED:	Marshall
MOTION:	Moved that HB05-1213 be referred to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed 10-2, with 1 excused.
SECONDED:	Coleman
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Borodkin	Yes
	Butcher	Yes
	Carroll M.	No
	Coleman	Yes
	Knoedler	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	Massey	Excused
	McCluskey	Yes
	Paccione	Yes
	White	Yes
	Cerbo	No
	Marshall	Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 2 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS