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House committee adopts amendment to raise uninsured‑employers assessment to 1.5%; members question long‑term funding plan
Summary
A committee amendment reduced a proposed additional assessment for the Uninsured Employers Fund from 2% to 1.5%. Delegates pressed committee leaders about who ultimately bears the cost and whether the change will address recurring insolvency in the fund.
The House adopted the committee’s amended report on the Uninsured Employers Fund, approving an amendment that raised the additional assessment on awards and settlements from 1% to 1.5% rather than the 2% originally proposed.
On the floor, a delegate asked the committee chair to confirm the revised assessment would move the assessment from 1.0% to 1.5% and whether the committee considered alternatives such as imposing steeper penalties on employers that operate without workers’ compensation insurance. The committee representative said stakeholders including the Chamber of Commerce and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association raised concerns; the committee determined the amended increase was the best near‑term option.
A member pressed whether the state, which self‑insures some workers, would carry a greater share of the assessment; the floor leader replied yes. Committee staff acknowledged the fund has a history of recurring deficits and that the 1.5% increase is intended as a partial remedy while additional legislation in the Senate would consider broader oversight and longer‑term fixes.
The amendment and favorable report were adopted and the bill was ordered printed for third reading. The transcript records committee debate and exchanges but does not include a roll‑call showing individual yea/nay votes on the floor.
