Rival Comp Bills In Okla. Legislature

By Matt Brady

NU Online News Service, March 7, 4:20 p.m. EST?The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a version of workers' compensation reform legislation, setting the stage for a showdown with a competing version expected to pass in the Senate.[@@]

House Bill 2046, which was authored by speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville, passed by a vote of 59 to 37, with all Republicans and four Democrats voting for the bill.

The House measure seeks to increase death benefits for killed workers' survivors and increase benefits for disfigurement and increase competition in the workers' comp market. It also aims to reduce legal costs by establishing an ombudsmen and limiting attorneys fees.

Supporters of the bill claim that their reforms will help improve the job market in the state.

"We're offering our state new hope for job opportunities and increased wages. We're going to make workers' comp better for hurt workers and less costly to employers," said Rep. Hiett. "Our reforms in House Bill 2046 fix a broken system that has posed one of the strongest barriers to economic development in Oklahoma."

Passage of the House bill was largely driven by Rep. Hiett and other Republican Leaders in the chamber. However, separate legislation, which focuses less on attorneys' fees, is moving through the Senate. Senate Bill 846, which has been supported by Democratic Gov. Brad Henry, was recently passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is widely expected to be approved by the Democrat-controlled Senate in the near future.

Insurance groups have also taken different views of the competing legislation.

John Marlow, assistant vice president for the Southwest region for the American Insurance Association, called HB 2046 "a major step toward meaningful reform and a positive solution for keeping jobs in Oklahoma and attracting new business to the state."

Mr. Marlow said that the House legislation would reduce the costs of the workers' comp system without reducing benefits to workers or payments to physicians, adding that "we are ready for a fight in the Senate, but we are confident we can bring real reforms to this antiquated system that will benefit everyone."

Joe Woods, vice president and regional manager for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, took a more neutral stance on the issue. "Both bills have some good things in them," he said, adding that while there is some "partisan fighting," beyond the control of the insurance industry, "we'd like to see the best of both worlds."

Mr. Woods also said that the business community has been the driving force behind the debate on workers' comp. While insurance groups have been providing support on technical issues dealing with workers' comp, he explained, "we try to stay out of the headlines."

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Rival Comp Bills In Okla. Legislature

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