The bill amends the Worker's Disability Compensation Act of 1969, specifically section 801, to enhance the timeliness and accountability of compensation payments to workers. It mandates that compensation must be paid promptly and directly to the entitled person, becoming due on the fourteenth day after the employer is notified of the disability or death. The bill also stipulates that if weekly compensation benefits are not paid within 14 days of becoming due, a penalty of $100 per day will be added for each day of delay, up to a maximum of $25,000. Additionally, it requires that medical bills or travel allowances must be paid within 30 days of notice, with similar penalties for delays.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a provision for interest on compensation payments that are overdue, specifying a rate of 10% per annum from the date each payment was due until it is paid. It also clarifies that employers who fail to notify the carrier of a worker's disability or death will incur penalties for the duration of their non-compliance. The bill removes previous requirements for the director of the worker's compensation agency to file a report on fraud detection and prevention, streamlining the focus on timely compensation and penalties for non-compliance.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 418.801