BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2082

By: Burrows

Business & Industry

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that first responders seeking treatment for on-the-job injuries should not be left to navigate the complex process of resolving workers' compensation insurance claims on their own. H.B. 2082 seeks to assist injured first responders in obtaining benefits, care, and dispute resolution under the workers' compensation system by providing for the designation and training of an employee of the office of injured employee counsel as a first responder liaison to provide such assistance.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2082 amends the Labor Code to require the injured employee public counsel to designate an employee of the office of injured employee counsel to act as first responder liaison. The bill requires the first responder liaison to assist an injured first responder and, if applicable, the ombudsman assigned to the first responder's case, during a workers' compensation administrative dispute resolution process. The bill requires the first responder liaison to meet the qualifications for designation as an ombudsman under the office's ombudsman program and subjects the first responder liaison to the training and education requirements for an ombudsman under the program. The bill requires an employer that employs first responders or supervises volunteer first responders to notify the first responders of the first responder liaison in the manner prescribed by the office.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.