Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Bartlesville Senator Julie Daniels sees a bill she authored move forward. The Senate gave final approval on House Bill 2367 which is a worker’s compensation bill.

The Oklahoma Senate gave final approval Wednesday on the legislation that is aimed to preserve and strengthen landmark workers' compensation reforms adopted in 2013. House Bill 2367 passed unanimously in the Senate and now heads to Governor Kevin Stitt's desk for consideration.

Sen. Daniels said the bill clarifies and secures the reforms while addressing a number of issues that have arisen since passage of the original bill. She said since 2013, reforms have been effective in helping injured workers receive timely treatment and get back to work. Oklahoma workers, she said, have saved hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to Sen. Daniels, premiums are also lower, fewer cases are filed and employee claims are resolved in less time with fewer appeals. Without compromising reforms all stakeholders negotiated over several months to resolve some pressing issues.

Highlights from House Bill 2367 include:

• Increases the total temporary disablility cap to 70-percent of the employee's average weekly wage with a maximum of the state's average weekly wage
• Increases the maximum permananent partial disability rate to $350/week for two years; an increase to $360/week in 2021 and an extension of the maximum number of weeks to 360
• Adopts use of the Sixth Edition of the American Medical Association guidelines
• Brings the Workers' Compensation Commission in line with several Oklahoma Supreme Court decisions
• Restructures the Multiple Injury Trust Fund to increase the funds solvency (The Final Year 2020 budget deal includes a $5-million appropriation to the MITF as part of the solution)
• Includes a reduction in the Court of Existing Claims to one judge from 2020 to 2022 to address remaining cases
• Calls for the Workers' Compensation Commission to conduct a study regarding a possible increase in the medical fee schedule and to report to the Legislature in 2020
• Calls for the current procedural terminology codes to be updated every two years.