SRC-JJJ H.B. 3493 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 3493 By: Dunnam (Moncrief) Economic Development 5/13/1999 Engrossed DIGEST The Labor Code provides a formal dispute resolution process to resolve benefit-related disagreements between injured employees and their employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier. A contested case hearing is a part of that process. The hearing is conducted by an employee of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (commission). H.B. 3493 would require the insurance carrier to file with the hearing officer, at each contested hearing, as applicable, and to deliver to the claimant a single document stating the true corporate name of the insurance carrier and the name and address of the insurance carrier's registered agent for service of process. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 3493 establishes provisions regarding certain insurance carrier information required in workers' compensation proceedings. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 410.164, Labor Code, by adding Subsection (c), to require the insurance carrier to file with the hearing officer, at each contested hearing, as applicable, and requires the insurance carrier to deliver to the claimant a single document stating the true corporate name of the insurance carrier and the name and address of the insurance carrier's registered agent for service of process. Provides that the document is part of the record of the contested hearing. SECTION 2. Amends Section 410.204, Labor Code, by adding Subsection (d), to require each final decision of the appeals panel hearing a workers' compensation claim to conclude with a separate paragraph that states certain information. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.