Senate committee adopts strike‑all and reports S.173 on workers' compensation

The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs on Feb. 19 adopted a strike‑all amendment to S.173, an act concerning workers' compensation and the labor relations board, and voted to report the bill out of committee.

Staff explained the strike‑all (Draft 2.1) removes a mandatory initial vocational rehabilitation screening, instead allowing injured workers to initiate rehabilitation services if not receiving them within 90 days. The amendment also creates a working group charged with assessing whether vocational rehabilitation services meet eligible injured workers’ needs in a timely, cost‑effective manner, and it adds consideration of cost‑effectiveness for the workers' compensation system.

Members discussed composition and appointment of working‑group members; committee staff said the House speaker and the committee would split appointment authority for certain seats and that the director of workers' compensation would call the first meeting. Members suggested adding a deadline for the first meeting; a proposal to require the director to convene the first meeting on or before Aug. 14 was discussed.

The committee adopted the strike‑all amendment (Draft 2.1) and then voted to report S.173 with that amendment. Senators who verbally recorded 'yes' on the amendment included Chen, Robinson, Riggs and Clarkson; the subsequent roll of 'yes' votes on reporting the bill included Brock, Chen, Robinson, Weeks and Clarkson. The committee chair said the bill is in good shape to be considered by the House and that further conversations will occur there.

The committee’s action was procedural: it accepted an amendment and voted to move a bill forward. Members noted continuing questions about working‑group appointments and implementation; the bill will proceed to the next legislative step with the adopted text.