| TO: | Honorable Robert Duncan, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB266 by Williams (Relating to the release of certain information regarding a workers' compensation claim.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the section of the Labor Code relating to record checks and the release of claim information. The bill would provide that an insurance carrier that has adopted an antifraud plan does not have to demonstrate the existence of subclaims to access certain claim information from the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC). The bill would allow an insurance carrier or a representative of the carrier to submit requests for claim information to TWCC on a monthly basis. The bill would require TWCC to provide the requested information in an electronic format and require the inclusion of certain specific information. The bill would allow TWCC to establish a reasonable fee for the requested information.
Based on the analysis of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission, it is assumed that any costs and duties associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be absorbed within the agency's existing resources.
The bill would take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
| Source Agencies: | 327 Employees Retirement System, 453 Workers' Compensation Commission, 454 Department of Insurance, 479 State Office of Risk Management
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, SR, MW, TG
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