Bill Text: TX HB2111 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled


Bill Title: Relating to changing statutory references to hearing officer and hearings officer to administrative law judge under the workers' compensation system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB2111 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB2111-Enrolled.html
 
 
  H.B. No. 2111
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to changing statutory references to hearing officer and
  hearings officer to administrative law judge under the workers'
  compensation system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 1305.356(b), Insurance Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  At a contested case hearing held under Subsection (a),
  the administrative law judge [hearing officer] conducting the
  hearing shall consider evidence-based treatment guidelines adopted
  by the network under Section 1305.304.
         SECTION 2.  Section 409.0091(m), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (m)  In a dispute filed under Chapter 410 that arises from a
  subclaim under this section, an administrative law judge [a hearing
  officer] may issue an order regarding compensability or eligibility
  for benefits and order the workers' compensation insurance carrier
  to reimburse health care services paid by the health care insurer as
  appropriate under this subtitle.  Any dispute over the amount of
  medical benefits owed under this section, including medical
  necessity issues, shall be determined by medical dispute resolution
  under Sections 413.031 and 413.032.
         SECTION 3.  Section 410.152, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.152.  ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES [HEARING
  OFFICERS]; QUALIFICATIONS. (a) An administrative law judge [A
  hearing officer] shall conduct a contested case hearing.
         (b)  An administrative law judge [A hearing officer] must be
  licensed to practice law in this state.
         SECTION 4.  Section 410.156(b), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  A party commits an administrative violation if the
  party, without good cause as determined by the administrative law
  judge [hearing officer], does not attend a contested case hearing.
         SECTION 5.  Section 410.158(a), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Section 410.162, discovery is
  limited to:
               (1)  depositions on written questions to any health
  care provider;
               (2)  depositions of other witnesses as permitted by the
  administrative law judge [hearing officer] for good cause shown;
  and
               (3)  interrogatories as prescribed by the
  commissioner.
         SECTION 6.  Section 410.162, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.162.  ADDITIONAL DISCOVERY. For good cause shown,
  a party may obtain permission from the administrative law judge
  [hearing officer] to conduct additional discovery as necessary.
         SECTION 7.  Section 410.163, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.163.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE
  [HEARING OFFICER]. (a) At a contested case hearing the
  administrative law judge [hearing officer] shall:
               (1)  swear witnesses;
               (2)  receive testimony;
               (3)  allow examination and cross-examination of
  witnesses;
               (4)  accept documents and other tangible evidence; and
               (5)  allow the presentation of evidence by affidavit.
         (b)  An administrative law judge [A hearing officer] shall
  ensure the preservation of the rights of the parties and the full
  development of facts required for the determinations to be made. An
  administrative law judge [A hearing officer] may permit the use of
  summary procedures, if appropriate, including witness statements,
  summaries, and similar measures to expedite the proceedings.
         SECTION 8.  Section 410.164(c), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  At each contested case hearing, as applicable, the
  insurance carrier shall file with the administrative law judge
  [hearing officer] and shall deliver to the claimant a single
  document stating the true corporate name of the insurance carrier
  and the name and address of the insurance carrier's registered
  agent for service of process. The document is part of the record of
  the contested case hearing.
         SECTION 9.  Section 410.165, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.165.  EVIDENCE.  (a)  The administrative law judge
  [hearing officer] is the sole judge of the relevance and
  materiality of the evidence offered and of the weight and
  credibility to be given to the evidence. Conformity to legal rules
  of evidence is not necessary.
         (b)  An administrative law judge [A hearing officer] may
  accept a written statement signed by a witness and shall accept all
  written reports signed by a health care provider.
         SECTION 10.  Section 410.167, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.167.  EX PARTE CONTACTS PROHIBITED. A party and an
  administrative law judge [a hearing officer] may not communicate
  outside the contested case hearing unless the communication is in
  writing with copies provided to all parties or relates to
  procedural matters.
         SECTION 11.  Sections 410.168(a), (c), (d), and (e), Labor
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The administrative law judge [hearing officer] shall
  issue a written decision that includes:
               (1)  findings of fact and conclusions of law;
               (2)  a determination of whether benefits are due; and
               (3)  an award of benefits due.
         (c)  The administrative law judge [hearing officer] may
  enter an interlocutory order for the payment of all or part of
  medical benefits or income benefits. The order may address accrued
  benefits, future benefits, or both accrued benefits and future
  benefits. The order is binding during the pendency of an appeal to
  the appeals panel.
         (d)  On a form that the commissioner by rule prescribes, the
  administrative law judge [hearing officer] shall issue a separate
  written decision regarding attorney's fees and any matter related
  to attorney's fees.  The decision regarding attorney's fees and the
  form may not be made known to a jury in a judicial review of an
  award, including an appeal.
         (e)  The commissioner by rule shall prescribe the times
  within which the administrative law judge [hearing officer] must
  file the decisions with the division.
         SECTION 12.  Section 410.169, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 410.169.  EFFECT OF DECISION. A decision of an
  administrative law judge [a hearing officer] regarding benefits is
  final in the absence of a timely appeal by a party and is binding
  during the pendency of an appeal to the appeals panel.
         SECTION 13.  Sections 410.202(a) and (c), Labor Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  To appeal the decision of an administrative law judge [a
  hearing officer], a party shall file a written request for appeal
  with the appeals panel not later than the 15th day after the date on
  which the decision of the administrative law judge [hearing
  officer] is received from the division and shall on the same date
  serve a copy of the request for appeal on the other party.
         (c)  A request for appeal or a response must clearly and
  concisely rebut or support the decision of the administrative law
  judge [hearing officer] on each issue on which review is sought.
         SECTION 14.  Section 410.203(b), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The appeals panel may:
               (1)  reverse the decision of the administrative law
  judge [hearings officer] and render a new decision;
               (2)  reverse the decision of the administrative law
  judge [hearings officer] and remand the case to the administrative
  law judge [hearing officer] for further consideration and
  development of evidence; or
               (3)  affirm the decision of the administrative law
  judge [hearings officer] in a case described by Section
  410.204(a-1).
         SECTION 15.  Sections 410.204(a-1) and (c), Labor Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a-1)  An appeals panel may only issue a written decision in
  a case in which the panel affirms the decision of an administrative
  law judge [a hearings officer] if the case:
               (1)  is a case of first impression;
               (2)  involves a recent change in law; or
               (3)  involves errors at the contested case hearing that
  require correction but do not affect the outcome of the hearing,
  including:
                     (A)  findings of fact for which insufficient
  evidence exists;
                     (B)  incorrect conclusions of law;
                     (C)  findings of fact or conclusions of law
  regarding matters that were not properly before the administrative
  law judge [hearings officer]; and
                     (D)  legal errors not otherwise described by this
  subdivision.
         (c)  If the appeals panel does not issue a decision in
  accordance with this section, the decision of the administrative
  law judge [hearing officer] becomes final and is the final decision
  of the appeals panel.
         SECTION 16.  Sections 413.0311(b), (c), and (d), Labor Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A party to a medical dispute described by Subsection (a)
  is entitled to a contested case hearing.  A contested case hearing
  under this section shall be conducted by an administrative law
  judge [a hearings officer] in the manner provided for contested
  case hearings under Subchapter D, Chapter 410.  Notwithstanding
  Section 410.024, a benefit review conference is not a prerequisite
  to a contested case hearing under this section.
         (c)  The decision of an administrative law judge [a hearings
  officer] under this section is final in the absence of a timely
  appeal by a party for judicial review under Subsection (d).
         (d)  A party who has exhausted all administrative remedies
  under Section 413.031 and this section and who is aggrieved by a
  final decision of the administrative law judge [hearings officer]
  under Subsection (c) may seek judicial review of the decision.  
  Judicial review under this subsection shall be conducted in the
  manner provided for judicial review of a contested case under
  Subchapter G, Chapter 2001, Government Code, except that the party
  seeking judicial review under this section must file suit not later
  than the 45th day after the date on which the division mailed the
  party the decision of the administrative law judge [hearings
  officer].  For purposes of this subsection, the mailing date is
  considered to be the fifth day after the date the decision of the
  administrative law judge [hearings officer] was filed with the
  division.
         SECTION 17.  Section 504.054(b), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The administrative law judge [hearing officer]
  conducting the contested case hearing under Subsection (a) shall
  consider any treatment guidelines adopted by the political
  subdivision or pool that provides medical benefits under Section
  504.053(b)(2) if those guidelines meet the standards provided by
  Section 413.011(e).
         SECTION 18.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2111 was passed by the House on April
  13, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 0, 3 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2111 was passed by the Senate on May
  24, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor       
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