LRB-0425/P1
MIM:amn
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Kirschbaum, BB0017 - WISBF SEG appropriation
For 2023-2025 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
employment
Reimbursements for supplemental worker's compensation benefits
Under current law, worker's compensation insurers are required to pay supplemental benefits to certain employees who were permanently disabled by an injury that is compensable under worker's compensation.
DWD is authorized to collect up to $5,000,000 from insurers that provide worker's compensation insurance to provide those supplemental benefits. This money must be used exclusively to provide reimbursements to insurers that pay those supplemental benefits and that request reimbursements. This bill creates a new, separate appropriation in the worker's compensation operations fund, to be used exclusively to provide these reimbursements. The bill does not increase revenue to DWD or collections from insurers.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section
1. 20.445 (1) (ra) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.445 (1) (ra) Worker's compensation operations fund; administration. From the worker's compensation operations fund, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of the worker's compensation program by the department, for assistance to the department of justice in investigating and prosecuting fraudulent activity related to worker's compensation, for transfer to the uninsured employers fund under s. 102.81 (1) (c), and for transfer to the appropriation accounts under par. (rp) and s. 20.427 (1) (ra). All moneys received under ss. 102.28 (2) (b) and 102.75 (1) shall be credited to this appropriation account. From this appropriation, an amount not to exceed $5,000 may be expended each fiscal year for payment of expenses for travel and research by the council on worker's compensation, an amount not to exceed $500,000 may be transferred in each fiscal year to the uninsured employers fund under s. 102.81 (1) (c), the amount in the schedule under par. (rp) shall be transferred to the appropriation account under par. (rp), and the amount in the schedule under s. 20.427 (1) (ra) shall be transferred to the appropriation account under s. 20.427 (1) (ra).
Section 2
. 20.445 (1) (rr) of the statutes is created to read:
20.445 (1) (rr) Worker's compensation operations fund; special assessment insurer reimbursements. From the worker's compensation operations fund, the amounts in the schedule for providing reimbursement to insurance carriers paying supplemental benefits under s. 102.44 (1) (c). All moneys received under s. 102.75 (1g) shall be credited to this appropriation account.
****Note: This Section
involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
Section
3. 102.75 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
102.75 (1m) The moneys collected under subs. (1) and (1g) and under ss. 102.28 (2) and 102.31 (7), together with all accrued interest, shall constitute a separate nonlapsible fund designated as the worker's compensation operations fund. Moneys in the fund may be expended only as provided in ss. 20.427 (1) (ra) and 20.445 (1) (ra), (rb), and (rp), and (rr) and may not be used for any other purpose of the state.
Section 9250.
Fiscal changes; Workforce Development.
(1) Work injury supplemental benefits fund. On the effective date of this subsection, there is transferred from the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (t) to the appropriation account under s. 20.445 (1) (rr) the unencumbered balance of the amount collected under s. 102.75 (1g).
(End)
