Master FIR (1988)

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Leavell		DATE TYPED:	3/11/99		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Permanent Partial Disability Study				SB	560/aSFC
					ANALYST:		Esquibel

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY99	FY2000	FY99	FY2000	Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
	$ 225.0			Non-Recurring	Wrkrs' Comp Admin Assess Fd

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Workers' Compensation Administration (WCA)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

General Services Department, Risk Management Division (GSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SFC Amendments

The Senate Finance Committee amendments to SB560 extend the appropriation through FY2001, and include the Labor Department as a possible entity for the WCA to contract with to provide specific wage data for claimants included in the study.

Synopsis of Bill

The bill appropriates $225.0 in FY2000 and FY2001 from the workers' compensation administration assessment fund to the WCA to contract for a study of the permanent partial disability and return to work systems in New Mexico.

Significant Issues

The funding proposed in the bill is to provide contract monies for the WCA to participate with the RAND corporation which is conducting a multi-state comparative study of permanent partial disability benefits. The results of the study could lend themselves to a change in the benefits structure in New Mexico.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

There are sufficient balances in the workers' compensation administration assessment fund to offset the appropriation contained in the bill.

RAE/njw