Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF3644

E Relating to workers compensation; including vacation and holiday pay in the
computation of daily wage; defining local social services agency to clarifying
the inclusion of certain voluntary uncompensated workers in the definition of
employee; providing for third party liability regardless of the type of benefits
or compensation recoverability, granting liable nonemployer third parties a
right of contribution against the employer, authorizing employers to avoid
contribution exposure by affirmatively waiving the right to recover workers
compensation benefits paid; requiring attorneys to file statements of attorney
fees, time limit, requiring insurer release of the money to the employee upon
failure to file; increasing temporary total disability payments, modifying a
certain provision providing for recommencement of temporary total disability
compensation after cessation for return to work and requiring employer or
insurer notice to employees of the duration limit on the payment of temporary
total compensation; increasing certain permanent partial disability payments and
providing for lump sum payments of the compensation; providing an additional
presumption of retirement from the labor market; providing for regulation of the
terms and removal of members of the rehabilitation review panel; modifying the
time limit for filing retraining requests; eliminating the requirement for
commissioner of labor and industry review of certain claims for certain medical
benefits; specifying the minimum amount of dependency compensation; increasing
the maximum burial expense benefit; providing for payments to the estate of
employees dying due to personal injury in dependency compensation nonentitlement
cases; modifying certain special compensation fund payment requirements;
requiring employers to give employees a certain information sheet at the time of
furnishing a copy of the first report of injury; changing the settlement and
contingency reserve account to the cost allocation account, modifying certain
payment requirements; specifying certain legislative findings relating to the
surplus under the Minnesota workers compensation assigned risk plan, providing
for transfer of a portion of the surplus to the special compensation fund to
reduce the current and future obligations of the second injury and the
supplementary benefits programs administered by the department of labor and
industry, reducing contributions to the fund after the transfer, requiring
department status reports to the legislature on certain dates, nonseverability
provisions, funds not transferable to remain in the assigned risk plan fund,
setting a transfer priority; repealing the provision providing for the payments
to the special compensation fund upon the death of employees without dependents
(mk, ja)