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New WCC chair says vacancies delayed hearing timeliness; agency concurs with governor's allowance
Summary
Workers' Compensation Commission leadership told the subcommittee that commissioner vacancies and onboarding temporarily reduced hearing timeliness but that full staffing and docket controls should restore the 90% timeliness target in the coming year.
Workers' Compensation Commission leadership told the Public Safety and Administration Subcommittee the commission concurs with the governor's FY27 allowance and expects to meet its hearing-timeliness target after recent onboarding.
DLS analyst Micah Richards presented the WCC fiscal-2027 analysis, noting a $26.5 million special fund budget and that 70% of the allowance supports personnel costs. The analysis showed a FY27 allowance increase of $1.4 million (99% for personnel) and that the commission achieved about 84% of hearings set within 60 days in FY25, short of the 90% managing-for-results target.
Asha Joseph Jefferson, the commission's newly appointed chair, said commissioner departures in March 2024 left temporary gaps and the onboarding process (described as "baby judges school") delayed case processing while newly appointed commissioners completed training. "We do fully believe by next year, we're gonna hit that goal of the 90%," Jefferson told the panel, adding the commission is implementing docketing-controls to improve timeliness.
Committee members thanked the WCC for its presentation and accepted the agency's concurrence with the governor's allowance; no formal action was taken.
