A Republican proposal to shift Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation system from a court system to an administrative system is scheduled to be heard in a House committee.
Senate Bill 1062 sponsored by Republican House Speaker T.W. Shannon and GOP Senate President Pro Gem Brian Bingman is to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee.
Republicans say the court system has pushed Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation costs higher than almost every other state. Shannon and Bingman have said it’s one of their highest legislative priorities.
The bill has already passed the Senate.
Former commerce secretary and workers’ compensation attorney Bob Burke has said the state hasn’t given past reform efforts enough time to take effect, the Associated Press reported.
The measure would change the state’s workers’ comp system from a court-driven system to an administrative one. The most controversial part of the bill, however, is that it would establish an alternative option for procuring workers’ compensation insurance coverage.
A statewide association of independent agents has endorsed the bill. While recognizing the bill was not perfect, the Executive Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (IIAO) unanimously voted in support of SB1062 at its Feb. 19 meeting.
IIAO has nearly 500 agency members, some of which are opposed to the alternative option portion of the bill. Most members, however, have been supportive of IIAO’s stance on the bill, IIAO President and CEO Dan Ramsey told Insurance Journal.
Associate Press reports contributed to this story.
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