OKLAHOMA CITY - The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee sent its version of workers compensation reform to the floor Tuesday on a party-line vote that suggested that the Republican majority might stick together on the matter this year.
The House committee made some notable revisions to Senate Bill 1062 but left intact the major changes sought by chambers of commerce and some state employers: replacing the workers comp courts with an administrative system, allowing employers an alternative to workers comp, and reducing benefits for most injuries.
SB 1062, coupled with a proposed mutualization of the state-owned workers compensation insurance fund CompSource, would likely constitute the greatest change in workers compensation law in decades. Mutualizing CompSource would make the policyholders its owners, with the state of Oklahoma the largest.
Some elements of SB 1062 made it through the Senate last year but died in the House over concerns about the so-called "opt-out" provision.
Proponents of the reforms say the current system is too expensive and does not result in good medical outcomes for injured workers. They say the workers compensation courts encourage litigation and unnecessary medical costs.
Opponents, though, say any savings from SB 1062 will be because of reduced benefits and that taxpayers will wind up footing the bill for an administrative system that will increase the size of state government and be more expensive to operate.
"The administrative system is a Trojan Horse," said House Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City. "The only difference in this system is that it drastically reduces benefits for people hurt doing their jobs."
The new law would cut benefits for most injuries by 30 percent, but Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, said that would put Oklahoma in line with most other states.
"This bill takes care of a lot of problems," said Echols. "It is far better than the current system."
The bill now becomes eligible for a vote by the full House, after which it would go into a conference committee to work out differences between the House and Senate versions.
Covenant marriage: Also Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee advanced a covenant marriage law, SB 105, on a 10-6 vote. The bill would make divorce in general and particularly no-fault divorce more difficult for those agreeing to such a marriage.
Juvenile justice reform: Also advancing from the same committee was SB 679, the comprehensive juvenile justice reform bill, and SB 854, which would make it easier for police departments to fire officers who are found to have used excessive force.
House OKs education bills: The full House passed two education bills of note, SB 226 and SB 436.
SB 226 would require schools to readmit seniors who have failed end-of-instruction tests for remediation. It passed 78-19, with some members arguing that students should be responsible for their own remediation.
SB 426, which would allow the creation of special districts for the sharing of administrative duties such as accounting, transportation and human resources, passed 61-32.
Nursing home administrators: The House Public Health Committee laid over SB 852, which would have eliminated the requirement that nursing home administrators have at least a bachelor's degree. The bill is dormant for the rest of the session.
Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Committee approves workers comp bill
