S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2461
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   January 17, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  LANZA  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
       AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to  directing
         the  chairman  of the workers' compensation board to appoint a referee
         to investigate, review and hear claims at each hearing part within the
         city of New York
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. Section 141 of the workers' compensation law is amended by
    2  adding a new closing paragraph to read as follows:
    3    THE CHAIRMAN SHALL APPOINT AND EMPLOY REFEREES TO BE PHYSICALLY  PRES-
    4  ENT  AT EACH HEARING PART OPERATING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF
    5  NEW YORK, TO INVESTIGATE, REVIEW AND HEAR CLAIMS AT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE
    6  CENTER OR DISTRICT OFFICE  WHERE  THE  CLAIMANT  RESIDES  OR  ELECTS  TO
    7  ATTEND;  PROVIDED, HOWEVER THAT IN THE EVENT OF THE TEMPORARY ABSENCE OF
    8  THE APPROPRIATE REFEREE, AND WHERE NO OTHER REFEREE IS PHYSICALLY AVAIL-
    9  ABLE TO APPEAR, A HEARING MAY BE HELD BY MEANS OF VIDEOCONFERENCE  BY  A
   10  REFEREE APPEARING FROM A LOCATION OUTSIDE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER
   11  OR  DISTRICT  OFFICE  OF  THE HEARING.   NO CLAIMANT RESIDING WITHIN THE
   12  BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK SHALL HAVE TO CROSS A BRIDGE TO TRAV-
   13  EL TO A HEARING LOCATION, UNLESS THEY OPT TO DO SO AT THEIR REQUEST.
   14    S 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
   15  have become a law.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05598-01-3