Bill Amendment: IL HB4151 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: WORK COMP-COMMISSIONER SALARY
Status: 2020-06-23 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4151 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HB4151-House_Amendment_001.html
Bill Title: WORK COMP-COMMISSIONER SALARY
Status: 2020-06-23 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4151 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HB4151-House_Amendment_001.html
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| 1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4151
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| 2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4151 by replacing | ||||||
| 3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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| 4 | "Section 5. The Workers' Compensation Act is amended by | ||||||
| 5 | changing Sections 4a-2, 4a-4, 4a-5, 4a-6.1, 4a-7, 13, and 14 as | ||||||
| 6 | follows:
| ||||||
| 7 | (820 ILCS 305/4a-2) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.4a-2)
| ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 4a-2. As used in Sections 4a-1 through 4a-9:
| ||||||
| 9 | (a) "Board" means the Self-Insurers Advisory Board created | ||||||
| 10 | by Section 4a-1.
| ||||||
| 11 | (b) "Chairman" means the Chairman of the Illinois Workers' | ||||||
| 12 | Compensation Commission.
| ||||||
| 13 | (c) "Private self-insurer" means a private employer that | ||||||
| 14 | has been
authorized to self-insure its payment of workers' | ||||||
| 15 | compensation benefits
pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 4 | ||||||
| 16 | of this Act or to self-insure its
payment of occupational | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | disease benefits pursuant to subsection (a) of
Section 4 of the | ||||||
| 2 | Workers' Occupational Diseases Act but does not include
group | ||||||
| 3 | self-insured employers under Section 4a of this Act or Section | ||||||
| 4 | 4a of
the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act or the State of | ||||||
| 5 | Illinois, any
political subdivision of the State, unit of local | ||||||
| 6 | government or school
district, or any other public authorities | ||||||
| 7 | or quasi-governmental bodies
including any subunits of the | ||||||
| 8 | foregoing entities.
| ||||||
| 9 | (d) "Insolvent self-insurer" means a private self-insurer | ||||||
| 10 | financially
unable to pay compensation due under this Act, | ||||||
| 11 | which (i) has filed either prior
to or after the effective date | ||||||
| 12 | of this Section or (ii) is the subject party
in any proceeding | ||||||
| 13 | under the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, or is
the | ||||||
| 14 | subject party in any proceeding in which a receiver, custodian,
| ||||||
| 15 | liquidator, rehabilitator, sequestrator, trustee or similar | ||||||
| 16 | officer has
been appointed by any Court to act in lieu of or on | ||||||
| 17 | behalf of that self-insurer.
| ||||||
| 18 | (e) "Fund" means the Self-Insurers Security Fund | ||||||
| 19 | established by Section 4a-5.
| ||||||
| 20 | (f) "Trustee" means a member of the Self-Insurers Advisory | ||||||
| 21 | Board.
| ||||||
| 22 | (g) (Blank). "Self-Insurers Administration Fund" means the | ||||||
| 23 | Fund established by Section 4a-6.1.
| ||||||
| 24 | (h) "Application fee" means the application fee provided | ||||||
| 25 | for in Section 4a-4.
| ||||||
| 26 | (Source: P.A. 93-721, eff. 1-1-05.)
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| 1 | (820 ILCS 305/4a-4) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.4a-4)
| ||||||
| 2 | Sec. 4a-4.
The Self-Insurers Advisory Board shall possess | ||||||
| 3 | all powers
necessary and convenient to accomplish the objects | ||||||
| 4 | prescribed by this Act,
including but not limited to the | ||||||
| 5 | following:
| ||||||
| 6 | (a) The Board shall make such bylaws, rules, regulations | ||||||
| 7 | and resolutions
as are necessary to carry out its | ||||||
| 8 | responsibilities. The Board may carry
out its responsibilities | ||||||
| 9 | directly or by contract or other instrument, and
may purchase | ||||||
| 10 | such services and collect and borrow such funds as it deems
| ||||||
| 11 | necessary to effectuate its activities and protect the members | ||||||
| 12 | of the Board
and its employees. The Board shall appoint, retain | ||||||
| 13 | and employ such persons
as it deems necessary to achieve the | ||||||
| 14 | purposes of the Board. The Chairman
shall be the chief | ||||||
| 15 | administrative officer of the Board, and he or she shall
have | ||||||
| 16 | general supervisory authority over all employees of the Board. | ||||||
| 17 | Designated
employees shall be subject to the Illinois Personnel | ||||||
| 18 | Code. All expenses
incurred pursuant to this provision shall be | ||||||
| 19 | paid from the Self-Insurers
Security Administration Fund. Each | ||||||
| 20 | private self-insurer applying for self-insurance
and for | ||||||
| 21 | renewal of the self-insurance privilege shall pay with its
| ||||||
| 22 | application a non-refundable application fee in the amount of | ||||||
| 23 | $500, which
shall be deposited upon receipt by the Commission | ||||||
| 24 | into the Self-Insurers Security
Administration Fund and used | ||||||
| 25 | only for the purposes set forth in Sections 4a-1 through 4a-9 | ||||||
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| |||||||
| 1 | this
Section. An application fee shall be required of each | ||||||
| 2 | corporation and each
and every corporate subsidiary.
| ||||||
| 3 | (b) The Board shall meet no less than quarterly and shall | ||||||
| 4 | meet at other
times upon the call of the Chairman, issued to | ||||||
| 5 | the Trustees in writing no less
than 48 hours prior to the day | ||||||
| 6 | and hour of the meeting, or upon a request
for a meeting | ||||||
| 7 | presented in writing to the Chairman no less than 72 hours
| ||||||
| 8 | prior to the proposed day and hour of the meeting and signed by | ||||||
| 9 | at least a
majority of the Trustees, whereupon the Chairman | ||||||
| 10 | shall provide notice
issued in writing to the Trustees no less | ||||||
| 11 | than 48 hours prior to the meeting
and shall convene the | ||||||
| 12 | meeting at the time and place stated in the request.
| ||||||
| 13 | (c) Four Trustees shall constitute a quorum to transact | ||||||
| 14 | business at any
meeting, and the affirmative vote of four | ||||||
| 15 | Trustees shall be necessary for
any action taken by the Board. | ||||||
| 16 | No vacancy shall otherwise impair the
rights of the remaining | ||||||
| 17 | Trustees to exercise all of the powers of the Board.
| ||||||
| 18 | (d) The Board shall serve without compensation, but each | ||||||
| 19 | member shall be
entitled to be reimbursed for necessary and | ||||||
| 20 | actual expenses incurred in the
discharge of his official | ||||||
| 21 | duties.
| ||||||
| 22 | (e) The Board shall have the right to sue and be sued in | ||||||
| 23 | the name of the
Commission.
| ||||||
| 24 | (Source: P.A. 85-1385.)
| ||||||
| 25 | (820 ILCS 305/4a-5) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.4a-5)
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| |||||||
| 1 | Sec. 4a-5. There is hereby created a Self-Insurers Security | ||||||
| 2 | Fund. The State
Treasurer shall be the ex officio ex-officio | ||||||
| 3 | custodian of the Self-Insurers Security
Fund. Moneys in the | ||||||
| 4 | Fund shall be deposited in a separate account in the
same | ||||||
| 5 | manner as are State Funds and any interest accruing thereon | ||||||
| 6 | shall be
added thereto every 6 months. It shall be subject to | ||||||
| 7 | audit the same as
State funds and accounts and shall be | ||||||
| 8 | protected by the general bond given
by the State Treasurer. The | ||||||
| 9 | funds in the Self-Insurers Security Fund shall
not be subject | ||||||
| 10 | to appropriation and shall be made available for the
purposes | ||||||
| 11 | of compensating employees who are eligible to receive benefits
| ||||||
| 12 | from their employers pursuant to the provisions of the Workers'
| ||||||
| 13 | Compensation Act or Workers' Occupational Diseases Act, when, | ||||||
| 14 | pursuant to
this Section, the Board has determined that a | ||||||
| 15 | private self-insurer has
become an insolvent self-insurer and | ||||||
| 16 | is unable to pay compensation benefits
due to financial | ||||||
| 17 | insolvency. Moneys in the Fund may be used to compensate
any | ||||||
| 18 | type of injury or occupational disease which is compensable | ||||||
| 19 | under either
Act, and all claims for related administrative | ||||||
| 20 | fees,
operating costs of the Board, attorney's fees, and other | ||||||
| 21 | costs reasonably
incurred by the Board. Moneys At the | ||||||
| 22 | discretion of the Chairman, moneys in the Self-Insurers | ||||||
| 23 | Security Fund may also be used for paying the salaries and | ||||||
| 24 | benefits of the Self-Insurers Advisory Board employees and the | ||||||
| 25 | operating costs of the Board. Payment from the Self-Insurers | ||||||
| 26 | Security Fund shall
be made by the Comptroller only upon the | ||||||
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| |||||||
| 1 | authorization of the Chairman as
evidenced by properly | ||||||
| 2 | certified vouchers of the Commission, upon the
direction of the | ||||||
| 3 | Board.
| ||||||
| 4 | (Source: P.A. 101-40, eff. 1-1-20; revised 8-6-19.)
| ||||||
| 5 | (820 ILCS 305/4a-6.1) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.4a-6.1)
| ||||||
| 6 | Sec. 4a-6.1.
There is hereby created a Self-Insurers | ||||||
| 7 | Administration
Fund. The State Treasurer shall be the | ||||||
| 8 | ex-officio custodian of the
Self-Insurers Administration Fund. | ||||||
| 9 | Monies in the Self-Insurers
Administration Fund shall be | ||||||
| 10 | deposited in a separate account in the same
manner as are State | ||||||
| 11 | Funds, and any interest accruing thereon shall be added
thereto | ||||||
| 12 | every 6 months. It shall be subject to audit the same as State
| ||||||
| 13 | funds and accounts and shall be protected by the general bond | ||||||
| 14 | given by the
State Treasurer. The funds in the Self-Insurers | ||||||
| 15 | Administration Fund shall
not be subject to appropriation and | ||||||
| 16 | shall be made available only for paying
the salaries and | ||||||
| 17 | benefits of the Self-Insurers Advisory Board employees and
the | ||||||
| 18 | operating costs of the Board. Payment from the Self-Insurers
| ||||||
| 19 | Administration Fund shall be made by the Comptroller only upon | ||||||
| 20 | the
authorization of the Chairman as evidenced by properly | ||||||
| 21 | certified vouchers
of the Commission. Within 60 days after the | ||||||
| 22 | effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General | ||||||
| 23 | Assembly, the Secretary of the Commission shall transfer all | ||||||
| 24 | remaining funds to the Self-Insurers Security Fund for use | ||||||
| 25 | consistent with the provisions of Section 4a-5. Prior to July | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | 1, 2020, the State Treasurer shall dissolve the Self-Insurers | ||||||
| 2 | Administration Fund and close any related accounts.
| ||||||
| 3 | (Source: P.A. 85-1385.)
| ||||||
| 4 | (820 ILCS 305/4a-7) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.4a-7)
| ||||||
| 5 | Sec. 4a-7. (a) The Commission may upon direction of the | ||||||
| 6 | Board from time
to time assess each of the private | ||||||
| 7 | self-insurers a pro rata share of the
funding reasonably | ||||||
| 8 | necessary to carry out its activities under Sections 4a-1 | ||||||
| 9 | through 4a-9 this
Section. The prorations shall be made on the | ||||||
| 10 | basis of each self-insured's
most recent payment into the rate | ||||||
| 11 | adjustment fund under Section 7(f) of
this Act. In no event | ||||||
| 12 | shall a private self-insurer be assessed at one time
in excess | ||||||
| 13 | of .6% of the compensation paid by that private self-insurer
| ||||||
| 14 | during the previous calendar year for claims incurred as a | ||||||
| 15 | self-insurer.
Total assessments against it in any calendar year | ||||||
| 16 | shall not exceed 1.2% of
the compensation it has paid during | ||||||
| 17 | the previous calendar year as a
self-insurer for claims | ||||||
| 18 | incurred. Funds obtained by such assessments shall
be used only | ||||||
| 19 | for the purposes set forth in Sections 4a-1 through 4a-9 this | ||||||
| 20 | Section, and shall be
deposited upon receipt by the Commission | ||||||
| 21 | into the Self-Insurers Security
Fund. If payment of any | ||||||
| 22 | assessment made under this subsection is not made
within 30 | ||||||
| 23 | days of the sending of the notice to the private self-insurer,
| ||||||
| 24 | the Commission at the direction of the Board shall proceed in | ||||||
| 25 | circuit court for
judgment against that private self-insurer | ||||||
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| |||||||
| 1 | which judgment shall include the
amount of the assessment, the | ||||||
| 2 | costs of suit, interest and reasonable attorneys' fees.
| ||||||
| 3 | (b) A private self-insurer which ceases to be a | ||||||
| 4 | self-insurer shall be
liable for any and all assessments made | ||||||
| 5 | pursuant to this Section during
the period following the date | ||||||
| 6 | its certificate of authority to
self-insure is withdrawn, | ||||||
| 7 | revoked or surrendered until such time as it
has discharged all | ||||||
| 8 | obligations to pay compensation which arose during the
period | ||||||
| 9 | of time said former self-insurer was self-insured. Assessments | ||||||
| 10 | of
such a former private self-insurer shall be based on the | ||||||
| 11 | compensation paid
by the former private self-insurer during the | ||||||
| 12 | preceding calendar year on
claims that arose during the period | ||||||
| 13 | of time said former private
self-insurer was self-insured.
| ||||||
| 14 | (c) The Board on behalf of the Commission shall annually | ||||||
| 15 | contract for an
independent certified audit of the financial | ||||||
| 16 | activities of the Fund, and an
annual report as of June 30 | ||||||
| 17 | shall be submitted promptly by the Board to
the Chairman of the | ||||||
| 18 | Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and to each Trustee. | ||||||
| 19 | Written
reports of all activities shall be submitted to the | ||||||
| 20 | Commission by the Board
on a monthly basis.
| ||||||
| 21 | (d) If there are monies remaining in the Fund after all | ||||||
| 22 | outstanding
obligations of all insolvent self-insurers have | ||||||
| 23 | been satisfied and the
costs of administration and defense have | ||||||
| 24 | been paid, such amounts shall be
returned by the Commission | ||||||
| 25 | from the Fund as directed by the Board to the
then private | ||||||
| 26 | self-insurers in that proportion which each said private
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| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | self-insurer has contributed to the Fund one year thereafter, | ||||||
| 2 | provided no
outstanding liabilities remain against the Fund.
| ||||||
| 3 | (e) Each private self-insurer shall be subject to the | ||||||
| 4 | direction of the
Commission as provided in Sections 4a-1 | ||||||
| 5 | through 4a-9 this Section as a condition of obtaining and
| ||||||
| 6 | maintaining its certificate of authority to self-insure.
| ||||||
| 7 | (Source: P.A. 93-721, eff. 1-1-05.)
| ||||||
| 8 | (820 ILCS 305/13) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.13)
| ||||||
| 9 | Sec. 13. There is created an Illinois Workers' Compensation | ||||||
| 10 | Commission consisting of 10
members to be appointed by the | ||||||
| 11 | Governor, by and with the consent of the
Senate, 3 of whom | ||||||
| 12 | shall be representative citizens of the
employing class | ||||||
| 13 | operating under this Act and 3 of whom shall
be from a labor | ||||||
| 14 | organization recognized under the National Labor Relations Act | ||||||
| 15 | or an attorney who has represented labor organizations or has | ||||||
| 16 | represented employees in workers' compensation cases, and 4 of | ||||||
| 17 | whom shall be representative citizens not identified
with | ||||||
| 18 | either the employing or employee classes. Not more than 6 | ||||||
| 19 | members
of the Commission shall be of the same political party. | ||||||
| 20 | Each Commissioner appointed on or after the effective date of | ||||||
| 21 | this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly shall be | ||||||
| 22 | required to be authorized to practice law in this State by the | ||||||
| 23 | Illinois Supreme Court and to maintain this authorization | ||||||
| 24 | throughout his or her term of employment.
| ||||||
| 25 | One of the
members not identified with either the employing | ||||||
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| |||||||
| 1 | or employee classes shall
be designated by the Governor as | ||||||
| 2 | Chairman. The Chairman shall be the chief
administrative and | ||||||
| 3 | executive officer of the Commission; and he or she shall
have | ||||||
| 4 | general supervisory authority over all personnel of the | ||||||
| 5 | Commission,
including arbitrators and Commissioners, and the | ||||||
| 6 | final authority in all
administrative matters relating to the | ||||||
| 7 | Commissioners, including but not
limited to the assignment and | ||||||
| 8 | distribution of cases and assignment of
Commissioners to the | ||||||
| 9 | panels, except in the promulgation of procedural rules
and | ||||||
| 10 | orders under Section 16 and in the determination of cases under | ||||||
| 11 | this Act.
| ||||||
| 12 | Notwithstanding the general supervisory authority of the | ||||||
| 13 | Chairman, each
Commissioner, except those assigned to the | ||||||
| 14 | temporary panel, shall have the
authority to hire and supervise | ||||||
| 15 | 2 staff attorneys each. Such staff attorneys
shall report | ||||||
| 16 | directly to the individual Commissioner.
| ||||||
| 17 | A formal training program for newly-appointed | ||||||
| 18 | Commissioners shall be
implemented. The training program shall | ||||||
| 19 | include the following:
| ||||||
| 20 | (a) substantive and procedural aspects of the office of | ||||||
| 21 | Commissioner;
| ||||||
| 22 | (b) current issues in workers' compensation law and | ||||||
| 23 | practice;
| ||||||
| 24 | (c) medical lectures by specialists in areas such as | ||||||
| 25 | orthopedics,
ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation | ||||||
| 26 | counseling;
| ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | (d) orientation to each operational unit of the | ||||||
| 2 | Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission;
| ||||||
| 3 | (e) observation of experienced arbitrators and | ||||||
| 4 | Commissioners conducting
hearings of cases, combined with | ||||||
| 5 | the opportunity to discuss evidence
presented and rulings | ||||||
| 6 | made;
| ||||||
| 7 | (f) the use of hypothetical cases requiring the | ||||||
| 8 | newly-appointed
Commissioner to issue judgments as a means | ||||||
| 9 | to evaluating knowledge and
writing ability;
| ||||||
| 10 | (g) writing skills;
| ||||||
| 11 | (h) professional and ethical standards pursuant to | ||||||
| 12 | Section 1.1 of this Act; | ||||||
| 13 | (i) detection of workers' compensation fraud and | ||||||
| 14 | reporting obligations of Commission employees and | ||||||
| 15 | appointees; | ||||||
| 16 | (j) standards of evidence-based medical treatment and | ||||||
| 17 | best practices for measuring and improving quality and | ||||||
| 18 | health care outcomes in the workers' compensation system, | ||||||
| 19 | including but not limited to the use of the American | ||||||
| 20 | Medical Association's "Guides to the Evaluation of | ||||||
| 21 | Permanent Impairment" and the practice of utilization | ||||||
| 22 | review; and | ||||||
| 23 | (k) substantive and procedural aspects of coal | ||||||
| 24 | workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung) cases. | ||||||
| 25 | A formal and ongoing professional development program | ||||||
| 26 | including, but not
limited to, the above-noted areas shall be | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | implemented to keep
Commissioners informed of recent | ||||||
| 2 | developments and issues and to assist them
in maintaining and | ||||||
| 3 | enhancing their professional competence. Each Commissioner | ||||||
| 4 | shall complete 20 hours of training in the above-noted areas | ||||||
| 5 | during every 2 years such Commissioner shall remain in office.
| ||||||
| 6 | The Commissioner candidates, other than the Chairman, must | ||||||
| 7 | meet one of
the following qualifications: (a) licensed to | ||||||
| 8 | practice law in the State of
Illinois; or (b) served as an | ||||||
| 9 | arbitrator at the Illinois Workers' Compensation
Commission | ||||||
| 10 | for at least 3 years; or (c) has at least 4 years of
| ||||||
| 11 | professional labor relations experience. The Chairman | ||||||
| 12 | candidate must have
public or private sector management and | ||||||
| 13 | budget experience, as determined
by the Governor.
| ||||||
| 14 | Each Commissioner shall devote full time to his duties and | ||||||
| 15 | any
Commissioner who is an attorney-at-law shall not engage in | ||||||
| 16 | the practice
of law, nor shall any Commissioner hold any other | ||||||
| 17 | office or position of
profit under the United States or this | ||||||
| 18 | State or any municipal
corporation or political subdivision of | ||||||
| 19 | this State, nor engage in any other
business, employment, or | ||||||
| 20 | vocation.
| ||||||
| 21 | The term of office of each member of the Commission holding | ||||||
| 22 | office on
the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 is | ||||||
| 23 | abolished, but
the incumbents shall continue to exercise all of | ||||||
| 24 | the powers and be subject
to all of the duties of Commissioners | ||||||
| 25 | until their respective successors are
appointed and qualified.
| ||||||
| 26 | The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission shall | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | administer this Act.
| ||||||
| 2 | In the promulgation of procedural rules, the determination | ||||||
| 3 | of cases heard en banc, and other matters determined by the | ||||||
| 4 | full Commission, the Chairman's vote shall break a tie in the | ||||||
| 5 | event of a tie vote.
| ||||||
| 6 | The members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the | ||||||
| 7 | advice and
consent of the Senate, as follows:
| ||||||
| 8 | (a) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of | ||||||
| 9 | 1989, 3
members, at least one of
each political party, and | ||||||
| 10 | one of whom shall be a representative citizen
of the | ||||||
| 11 | employing class operating under this Act, one of whom shall | ||||||
| 12 | be
a representative citizen of the class of employees | ||||||
| 13 | covered under this
Act, and one of whom shall be a | ||||||
| 14 | representative citizen not identified
with either the | ||||||
| 15 | employing or employee classes, shall be appointed
to hold | ||||||
| 16 | office until the third Monday in January of 1993, and until | ||||||
| 17 | their
successors are appointed and qualified, and 4 | ||||||
| 18 | members, one of whom shall be
a representative citizen of | ||||||
| 19 | the employing class operating under this Act,
one of whom | ||||||
| 20 | shall be a representative citizen of the class of employees
| ||||||
| 21 | covered in this Act, and two of whom shall be | ||||||
| 22 | representative citizens not
identified with either the | ||||||
| 23 | employing or employee classes, one of whom shall
be | ||||||
| 24 | designated by the Governor as Chairman (at least one of | ||||||
| 25 | each of the two
major political parties) shall be appointed | ||||||
| 26 | to hold office until the third
Monday of January in 1991, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | and until their successors are appointed and
qualified.
| ||||||
| 2 | (a-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this | ||||||
| 3 | Section,
the term of each member of the Commission
who was | ||||||
| 4 | appointed by the Governor and is in office on June 30, 2003 | ||||||
| 5 | shall
terminate at the close of business on that date or | ||||||
| 6 | when all of the successor
members to be appointed pursuant | ||||||
| 7 | to this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
Assembly have | ||||||
| 8 | been appointed by the Governor, whichever occurs later. As | ||||||
| 9 | soon
as possible, the Governor shall appoint persons to | ||||||
| 10 | fill the vacancies created
by this amendatory Act. Of the | ||||||
| 11 | initial commissioners appointed pursuant to
this | ||||||
| 12 | amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, 3 shall be | ||||||
| 13 | appointed for
terms ending on the third Monday in January, | ||||||
| 14 | 2005, and 4 shall be appointed
for terms ending on the | ||||||
| 15 | third Monday in January, 2007.
| ||||||
| 16 | (a-10) After the effective date of this amendatory Act | ||||||
| 17 | of the 94th General Assembly, the Commission shall be | ||||||
| 18 | increased to 10 members. As soon as possible after the | ||||||
| 19 | effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General | ||||||
| 20 | Assembly, the Governor shall appoint, by and with the | ||||||
| 21 | consent of the
Senate, the 3 members added to the | ||||||
| 22 | Commission under this amendatory Act of the 94th General | ||||||
| 23 | Assembly, one of whom shall be a representative citizen of | ||||||
| 24 | the employing class operating under this Act, one of whom | ||||||
| 25 | shall be a representative of the class of employees covered | ||||||
| 26 | under this Act, and one of whom shall be a representative | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | citizen not identified with either the employing or | ||||||
| 2 | employee classes. Of the members appointed under this | ||||||
| 3 | amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, one shall be | ||||||
| 4 | appointed for a term ending on the third Monday in January, | ||||||
| 5 | 2007, and 2 shall be appointed for terms ending on the | ||||||
| 6 | third Monday in January, 2009, and until their successors | ||||||
| 7 | are appointed and qualified.
| ||||||
| 8 | (b) Members shall thereafter be appointed to hold | ||||||
| 9 | office for terms of 4
years from the third Monday in | ||||||
| 10 | January of the year of their appointment,
and until their | ||||||
| 11 | successors are appointed and qualified. All such
| ||||||
| 12 | appointments shall be made so that the composition of the | ||||||
| 13 | Commission is in
accordance with the provisions of the | ||||||
| 14 | first paragraph of this Section.
| ||||||
| 15 | The Chairman shall receive an annual salary of $42,500, or
| ||||||
| 16 | a salary set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is | ||||||
| 17 | greater,
and each other member shall receive an annual salary | ||||||
| 18 | of $38,000, or a
salary set by the Compensation Review Board, | ||||||
| 19 | whichever is greater.
| ||||||
| 20 | After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the | ||||||
| 21 | 101st General Assembly, each Commissioner shall receive an | ||||||
| 22 | annual salary of 70% of a Circuit Court Judge in the Judicial | ||||||
| 23 | Court constituted by the First Judicial District under the | ||||||
| 24 | Salaries Act and the Chairman shall receive an annual salary of | ||||||
| 25 | 5% more than the other Commissioners. | ||||||
| 26 | In case of a vacancy in the office of a Commissioner during | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | the
recess of the Senate, the Governor shall make a temporary | ||||||
| 2 | appointment
until the next meeting of the Senate, when he shall | ||||||
| 3 | nominate some person
to fill such office. Any person so | ||||||
| 4 | nominated who is confirmed by the
Senate shall hold office | ||||||
| 5 | during the remainder of the term and until his
successor is | ||||||
| 6 | appointed and qualified.
| ||||||
| 7 | The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission created by | ||||||
| 8 | this amendatory Act of 1989
shall succeed to all the rights, | ||||||
| 9 | powers, duties, obligations, records
and other property and | ||||||
| 10 | employees of the Industrial Commission which it
replaces as | ||||||
| 11 | modified by this amendatory Act of 1989 and all applications
| ||||||
| 12 | and reports to actions and proceedings of such prior Industrial | ||||||
| 13 | Commission
shall be considered as applications and reports to | ||||||
| 14 | actions and proceedings
of the Illinois Workers' Compensation | ||||||
| 15 | Commission created by this amendatory Act of 1989.
| ||||||
| 16 | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in the | ||||||
| 17 | event the
Chairman shall make a finding that a member is or | ||||||
| 18 | will be unavailable to
fulfill the responsibilities of his or | ||||||
| 19 | her office, the Chairman shall
advise the Governor and the | ||||||
| 20 | member in writing and shall designate a
certified arbitrator to | ||||||
| 21 | serve as acting Commissioner. The certified
arbitrator shall | ||||||
| 22 | act as a Commissioner until the member resumes the duties
of | ||||||
| 23 | his or her office or until a new member is appointed by the | ||||||
| 24 | Governor, by
and with the consent of the Senate, if a vacancy | ||||||
| 25 | occurs in the office of
the Commissioner, but in no event shall | ||||||
| 26 | a certified arbitrator serve in the
capacity of Commissioner | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | for more than 6 months from the date of
appointment by the | ||||||
| 2 | Chairman. A finding by the Chairman that a member is or
will be | ||||||
| 3 | unavailable to fulfill the responsibilities of his or her | ||||||
| 4 | office
shall be based upon notice to the Chairman by a member | ||||||
| 5 | that he or she will
be unavailable or facts and circumstances | ||||||
| 6 | made known to the Chairman which
lead him to reasonably find | ||||||
| 7 | that a member is unavailable to fulfill the
responsibilities of | ||||||
| 8 | his or her office. The designation of a certified
arbitrator to | ||||||
| 9 | act as a Commissioner shall be considered representative of
| ||||||
| 10 | citizens not identified with either the employing or employee | ||||||
| 11 | classes and
the arbitrator shall serve regardless of his or her | ||||||
| 12 | political affiliation.
A certified arbitrator who serves as an | ||||||
| 13 | acting Commissioner shall have all
the rights and powers of a | ||||||
| 14 | Commissioner, including salary.
| ||||||
| 15 | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the | ||||||
| 16 | Governor shall appoint
a special panel of Commissioners | ||||||
| 17 | comprised of 3 members who shall be chosen
by the Governor, by | ||||||
| 18 | and with the consent of the Senate, from among the
current | ||||||
| 19 | ranks of certified arbitrators. Three members shall hold office
| ||||||
| 20 | until the Commission in consultation with the Governor | ||||||
| 21 | determines that the
caseload on review has been reduced | ||||||
| 22 | sufficiently to allow cases to proceed
in a timely manner or | ||||||
| 23 | for a term of 18 months from the effective date of
their | ||||||
| 24 | appointment by the Governor, whichever shall be earlier. The 3
| ||||||
| 25 | members shall be considered representative of citizens not | ||||||
| 26 | identified with
either the employing or employee classes and | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | shall serve regardless of
political affiliation. Each of the 3 | ||||||
| 2 | members shall have only such rights
and powers of a | ||||||
| 3 | Commissioner necessary to dispose of those cases assigned
to | ||||||
| 4 | the special panel. Each of the 3 members appointed to the | ||||||
| 5 | special panel
shall receive the same salary as other | ||||||
| 6 | Commissioners for the duration of
the panel.
| ||||||
| 7 | The Commission may have an Executive Director; if so, the | ||||||
| 8 | Executive
Director shall be appointed by the Governor with the | ||||||
| 9 | advice and consent of the
Senate. The salary and duties of the | ||||||
| 10 | Executive Director shall be fixed by the
Commission.
| ||||||
| 11 | On the effective date of this amendatory Act of
the 93rd | ||||||
| 12 | General Assembly, the name of the Industrial Commission is | ||||||
| 13 | changed to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. | ||||||
| 14 | References in any law, appropriation, rule, form, or other
| ||||||
| 15 | document: (i) to the Industrial Commission
are deemed, in | ||||||
| 16 | appropriate contexts, to be references to the Illinois Workers' | ||||||
| 17 | Compensation Commission for all purposes; (ii) to the | ||||||
| 18 | Industrial Commission Operations Fund
are deemed, in | ||||||
| 19 | appropriate contexts, to be references to the Illinois Workers' | ||||||
| 20 | Compensation Commission Operations Fund for all purposes; | ||||||
| 21 | (iii) to the Industrial Commission Operations Fund Fee are | ||||||
| 22 | deemed, in appropriate contexts, to be
references to the | ||||||
| 23 | Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Operations Fund Fee | ||||||
| 24 | for all
purposes; and (iv) to the Industrial Commission | ||||||
| 25 | Operations Fund Surcharge are deemed, in appropriate contexts, | ||||||
| 26 | to be
references to the Illinois Workers' Compensation | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Commission Operations Fund Surcharge for all
purposes. | ||||||
| 2 | (Source: P.A. 101-384, eff. 1-1-20.)
| ||||||
| 3 | (820 ILCS 305/14) (from Ch. 48, par. 138.14)
| ||||||
| 4 | Sec. 14. The Commission shall appoint a secretary and , an | ||||||
| 5 | assistant
secretary, and arbitrators and shall employ such
| ||||||
| 6 | assistants and clerical help as may be necessary. Arbitrators | ||||||
| 7 | shall be appointed pursuant to this Section, notwithstanding | ||||||
| 8 | any provision of the Personnel Code.
| ||||||
| 9 | Each arbitrator appointed after June 28, 2011 shall be | ||||||
| 10 | required
to demonstrate in writing his or
her knowledge of and | ||||||
| 11 | expertise in the law of and judicial processes of
the Workers' | ||||||
| 12 | Compensation Act and the Workers' Occupational Diseases Act.
| ||||||
| 13 | A formal training program for newly-hired arbitrators | ||||||
| 14 | shall be
implemented. The training program shall include the | ||||||
| 15 | following:
| ||||||
| 16 | (a) substantive and procedural aspects of the | ||||||
| 17 | arbitrator position;
| ||||||
| 18 | (b) current issues in workers' compensation law and | ||||||
| 19 | practice;
| ||||||
| 20 | (c) medical lectures by specialists in areas such as | ||||||
| 21 | orthopedics,
ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation | ||||||
| 22 | counseling;
| ||||||
| 23 | (d) orientation to each operational unit of the | ||||||
| 24 | Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission;
| ||||||
| 25 | (e) observation of experienced arbitrators conducting | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | hearings of cases,
combined with the opportunity to discuss | ||||||
| 2 | evidence presented and rulings made;
| ||||||
| 3 | (f) the use of hypothetical cases requiring the trainee | ||||||
| 4 | to issue
judgments as a means to evaluating knowledge and | ||||||
| 5 | writing ability;
| ||||||
| 6 | (g) writing skills;
| ||||||
| 7 | (h) professional and ethical standards pursuant to | ||||||
| 8 | Section 1.1 of this Act; | ||||||
| 9 | (i) detection of workers' compensation fraud and | ||||||
| 10 | reporting obligations of Commission employees and | ||||||
| 11 | appointees; | ||||||
| 12 | (j) standards of evidence-based medical treatment and | ||||||
| 13 | best practices for measuring and improving quality and | ||||||
| 14 | health care outcomes in the workers' compensation system, | ||||||
| 15 | including but not limited to the use of the American | ||||||
| 16 | Medical Association's "Guides to the Evaluation of | ||||||
| 17 | Permanent Impairment" and the practice of utilization | ||||||
| 18 | review; and | ||||||
| 19 | (k) substantive and procedural aspects of coal | ||||||
| 20 | workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung) cases. | ||||||
| 21 | A formal and ongoing professional development program | ||||||
| 22 | including, but not
limited to, the above-noted areas shall be | ||||||
| 23 | implemented to keep arbitrators
informed of recent | ||||||
| 24 | developments and issues and to assist them in
maintaining and | ||||||
| 25 | enhancing their professional competence. Each arbitrator shall | ||||||
| 26 | complete 20 hours of training in the above-noted areas during | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | every 2 years such arbitrator shall remain in office.
| ||||||
| 2 | Each
arbitrator shall devote full time to his or her duties | ||||||
| 3 | and shall serve when
assigned as
an acting Commissioner when a | ||||||
| 4 | Commissioner is unavailable in accordance
with the provisions | ||||||
| 5 | of Section 13 of this Act. Any
arbitrator who is an | ||||||
| 6 | attorney-at-law shall not engage in the practice of
law, nor | ||||||
| 7 | shall any arbitrator hold any other office or position of
| ||||||
| 8 | profit under the United States or this State or any municipal
| ||||||
| 9 | corporation or political subdivision of this State.
| ||||||
| 10 | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act to the | ||||||
| 11 | contrary, an arbitrator
who serves as an acting Commissioner in | ||||||
| 12 | accordance with the provisions of
Section 13 of this Act shall | ||||||
| 13 | continue to serve in the capacity of Commissioner
until a | ||||||
| 14 | decision is reached in every case heard by that arbitrator | ||||||
| 15 | while
serving as an acting Commissioner.
| ||||||
| 16 | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, the | ||||||
| 17 | term of all arbitrators serving on June 28, 2011 (the effective | ||||||
| 18 | date of Public Act 97-18), including any arbitrators on | ||||||
| 19 | administrative leave, shall terminate at the close of business | ||||||
| 20 | on July 1, 2011, but the incumbents shall continue to exercise | ||||||
| 21 | all of their duties until they are reappointed or their | ||||||
| 22 | successors are appointed. | ||||||
| 23 | On and after June 28, 2011 (the effective date of Public | ||||||
| 24 | Act 97-18), arbitrators shall be appointed to 3-year terms as | ||||||
| 25 | follows: | ||||||
| 26 | (1) All appointments shall be made by the Governor with | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | the advice and consent of the Senate. | ||||||
| 2 | (2) For their initial appointments, 12 arbitrators | ||||||
| 3 | shall be appointed to terms expiring July 1, 2012; 12 | ||||||
| 4 | arbitrators shall be appointed to terms expiring July 1, | ||||||
| 5 | 2013; and all additional arbitrators shall be appointed to | ||||||
| 6 | terms expiring July 1, 2014. Thereafter, all arbitrators | ||||||
| 7 | shall be appointed to 3-year terms. | ||||||
| 8 | Upon the expiration of a term, the Chairman shall evaluate | ||||||
| 9 | the performance of the arbitrator and may recommend to the | ||||||
| 10 | Governor that he or she be reappointed to a second or | ||||||
| 11 | subsequent term by the Governor with the advice and consent of | ||||||
| 12 | the Senate. | ||||||
| 13 | Each arbitrator appointed on or after June 28, 2011 (the | ||||||
| 14 | effective date of Public Act 97-18) and who has not previously | ||||||
| 15 | served as an arbitrator for the Commission shall be required to | ||||||
| 16 | be authorized to practice law in this State by the Supreme | ||||||
| 17 | Court, and to maintain this authorization throughout his or her | ||||||
| 18 | term of employment.
| ||||||
| 19 | The performance of all arbitrators shall be reviewed by the | ||||||
| 20 | Chairman every other year, or more at the discretion of the | ||||||
| 21 | Chairman on
an annual basis. The Chairman shall allow input | ||||||
| 22 | from the Commissioners in
all such reviews.
| ||||||
| 23 | The Commission shall assign no fewer than 3 arbitrators to | ||||||
| 24 | each hearing site. The Commission shall establish a procedure | ||||||
| 25 | to ensure that the arbitrators assigned to each hearing site | ||||||
| 26 | are assigned cases on a random basis. No arbitrator shall hear | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | cases in any county, other than Cook County, for more than 4 2 | ||||||
| 2 | years consecutively in each 3-year term. | ||||||
| 3 | The Secretary and each arbitrator shall receive a per annum | ||||||
| 4 | salary of
5% $4,000 less than the per annum salary of members | ||||||
| 5 | of The
Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission as
provided in | ||||||
| 6 | Section 13 of this Act, payable in equal monthly installments.
| ||||||
| 7 | On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of | ||||||
| 8 | the 101st General Assembly, the Secretary and each arbitrator | ||||||
| 9 | shall receive a per annum salary of 5% less than the per annum | ||||||
| 10 | salary of members of the Illinois Workers' Compensation | ||||||
| 11 | Commission as provided in Section 13 of this Act, payable in | ||||||
| 12 | equal monthly installments. | ||||||
| 13 | The members of the Commission, Arbitrators and other | ||||||
| 14 | employees whose
duties require them to travel, shall have | ||||||
| 15 | reimbursed to them their
actual traveling expenses and | ||||||
| 16 | disbursements made or incurred by them in
the discharge of | ||||||
| 17 | their official duties while away from their place of
residence | ||||||
| 18 | in the performance of their duties.
| ||||||
| 19 | The Commission shall provide itself with a seal for the
| ||||||
| 20 | authentication of its orders, awards and proceedings upon which | ||||||
| 21 | shall be
inscribed the name of the Commission and the words | ||||||
| 22 | "Illinois--Seal".
| ||||||
| 23 | The Secretary or Assistant Secretary, under the direction | ||||||
| 24 | of the
Commission, shall have charge and custody of the seal of | ||||||
| 25 | the Commission
and also have charge and custody of all records, | ||||||
| 26 | files, orders,
proceedings, decisions, awards and other | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | documents on file with the
Commission. He shall furnish | ||||||
| 2 | certified copies, under the seal of the
Commission, of any such | ||||||
| 3 | records, files, orders, proceedings, decisions,
awards and | ||||||
| 4 | other documents on file with the Commission as may be
required. | ||||||
| 5 | Certified copies so furnished by the Secretary or Assistant
| ||||||
| 6 | Secretary shall be received in evidence before the Commission | ||||||
| 7 | or any
Arbitrator thereof, and in all courts, provided that the | ||||||
| 8 | original of
such certified copy is otherwise competent and | ||||||
| 9 | admissible in evidence.
The Secretary or Assistant Secretary | ||||||
| 10 | shall perform such other duties as
may be prescribed from time | ||||||
| 11 | to time by the Commission.
| ||||||
| 12 | (Source: P.A. 98-40, eff. 6-28-13; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16.)
| ||||||
| 13 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 14 | becoming law.".
| ||||||
