HBA-MPM H.B. 1204 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1204 By: Brimer Business & Industry 2/22/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law limits the risk management services offered by the State Office of Risk Management (office) to The Texas A&M System, The University of Texas System, and Texas Department of Transportation. These entities currently administer their own workers' compensation claims. House Bill 1204 transfers these duties and responsibilities to the office, the director of the office, and the risk management board, as appropriate, thereby creating a single claims administrator for all state employees' workers' compensation claims. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the risk management board in SECTION 8 (Section 502.061, Labor Code), in SECTION 17 (Section 503.061, Labor Code), in SECTION 26 (Section 505.051, Labor Code) and SECTION 33 of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 1024 amends the Labor Code to transfer duties and responsibilities for providing workers' compensation coverage for employees of The Texas A&M University System (A&M System), The University of Texas System (U.T. System), and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to the State Office of Risk Management (office), to the director of the office (director), or to the risk management board (board), as appropriate. The bill transfers rulemaking authority from the A&M System, the U.T. System, and TxDOT to the board with respect to workers' compensation coverage (Secs. 502.061, 503.061, and 505.051). The bill provides that change in law regarding workers' compensation benefits for employees of the A&M System, the U.T. System, and TxDOT applies only to a claim for workers' compensation benefits based on a compensable injury that occurs on or after January 1, 2002. The bill requires the board to adopt rules necessary to implement this Act no later than November 1, 2001 (SECTION 33). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.