Rules committee waives deadlines and refers House File 4598 (Workers' Comp Advisory Council recommendations) to the General Register

The chair moved that deadlines be waived for further action on House File 4598 and that HF 4598 be referred to the General Register, saying the bill contains recommendations from the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council and that it is standard practice for the committee to provide a deadline waiver for that council’s recommendations.

The chair told members that, because the bill missed first and second deadlines, the explicit purpose of the waiver was to permit referral for the council’s recommendations; the chair said, “So we won't be accepting amendments or public testimony at this time.”

Committee member Coach Earnest urged support for the waiver, saying the body should maintain a high threshold for rules waivers but that this request met that standard: “I think it's important that we do very carefully follow the deadlines ... As you mentioned, this is one that really does meet that high threshold. It's one that we traditionally done. And it's for very good reason that this is a good process that the Workers Compensation Advisory Council goes through, non-partisan bipartisan work, really trying to improve that process. So I urge members to support through all the way around this bill.”

After no further discussion, the chair renewed the motion and called for the voice vote; the motion to waive deadlines and refer HF 4598 to the General Register was approved by voice vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or any amendments; the chair indicated the standard practice is to accept the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council's recommendations via a deadline waiver in this committee.