BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 741

By: Davis, Yvonne

Business & Industry

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that injured employees may not be fully aware of their right to choose a treating doctor in a case involving workers' compensation. H.B. 741 seeks to address these concerns by requiring the notice of injured employee rights and responsibilities to inform an employee that the employee has the right to choose a treating doctor.  

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. 741 amends the Labor Code to require the notice of injured employee rights and responsibilities distributed by the division of workers' compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance to inform the employee that the employee has the right to choose a treating doctor, including a doctor of medicine, osteopathic medicine, optometry, dentistry, podiatry, or chiropractic who is licensed and authorized to practice. The bill requires the public counsel of the office of injured employee counsel to adopt the notice as revised by the bill not later than December 1, 2019.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.