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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the qualifications and operations of workers' |
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compensation data collection agents. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 401.024, Labor Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The commissioner may designate and contract with one or |
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more [a] data collection agents [agent] to fulfill the data |
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collection requirements of this subtitle. To qualify as a data |
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collection agent, an organization must demonstrate at least five |
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years of experience in data collection, data maintenance, data |
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quality control, accounting, and related areas. |
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(e) A data collection agent may collect from a reporting |
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insurance carrier, other than a governmental entity, any fees |
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necessary for the agent to recover the necessary and reasonable |
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costs of collecting data from that reporting insurance carrier. |
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(f) A reporting insurance carrier, other than a |
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governmental entity, shall pay the fee to the data collection agent |
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for the data collection services provided by the data collection |
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agent. |
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(g) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 406.009(c), Labor Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The commissioner may designate a data collection agent, |
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implement an electronic reporting and public information access |
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program, and adopt rules as necessary to implement the data |
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collection requirements of this subchapter. The commissioner may |
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establish the form, manner, and procedure for the transmission of |
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information to the division. A data collection agent designated |
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under this subsection must be qualified and may collect fees in the |
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manner described by Section 401.024. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |