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Joint committee accepts amendments on workers’ comp treatment approvals, reverts some timings to seven days
Summary
In a joint Labor & Technology and Commerce & Consumer Protection hearing, members approved amendments to HB1509 HD2 requiring employers to approve treatment plans within a clarified timeframe; the committee accepted IBEW’s proposal reverting some approvals to seven days and removed a proposed $500 fine for employer nonresponse.
The joint session of the Senate committees on Labor and Technology and Commerce & Consumer Protection voted to pass House Bill 1509 HD2 with amendments that modify timelines for employer approval of injured‑worker treatment plans.
DLIR Director Jane Buttai testified that the measure seeks to ensure injured workers receive timely medical care by requiring employers to approve treatment plans within a statutory timeframe. Several testifiers recommended a seven‑day turnaround for simpler approvals; the committee accepted amendments incorporating the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) request to revert some approvals from 10 days to seven days and removed language imposing a $500 fine on employers for failing to respond within 10 days.
An injured‑worker testifier, Nancy Molden, described a personal delay in care following a back injury and urged faster review timelines. Committee members debated whether an automatic deeming provision already exists in statute; DLIR staff characterized some of the proposed penalties as unnecessary because the statute already provides automatic approval in certain circumstances.
The chair noted the committee’s recommendation to pass with amendments, adopted the amendments, and set an effective date of Jan. 1, 2077 in the committee report.
What happens next: HB1509 HD2 will advance with the committee’s amendment package; the committee removed the $500 fine for nonresponse and accepted the reversion to seven days for specified approvals.
