HBA-MPM H.B. 49 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 49
By: McClendon
Business & Industry
4/9/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law authorizes the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) to
release information regarding a compensable injury to certain parties if a
workers' compensation  claim is open or pending, on appeal to a court, or
the subject of a subsequent suit in which the insurance carrier or the
subsequent injury fund is subrogated to the rights of the claimant.
However, current law does not expressly authorize TWCC to release
information to be released to a litigant in a subsequent lawsuit involving
workers' compensation claim in which an employee's injury information may
be relevant.  House Bill 49 authorizes the release of this information to a
litigant. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 49 amends the Labor Code to authorize the release of information
to a litigant in a subsequent lawsuit in which the employee's prior injury
information may be relevant.  The release of information applies to
information collected by the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission
contained in an employee's workers compensation claim, whether it be
current or prior compensable injury information.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.