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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Illinois workers' compensation laws provide
3 workers important protection from the economic hardship
4 wrought by injuries and diseases caused by employment; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Illinois employers favor a workers' compensation
6 system that not only treats injured workers adequately and
7 fairly but also takes opportunities to minimize unnecessary
8 costs, to prevent abuse, and to settle disputes quickly and
9 impartially; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Both Illinois workers and employers have concerns
11 about the current state of Illinois' workers' compensation
12 laws, and both strive to make positive changes that work for
13 both workers and employers; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Illinois' workers' compensation system should
15 equitably remunerate Illinois physicians and health care
16 providers for services rendered to relieve employees of
17 work-related injuries and diseases; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
20 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that a Workers' Compensation Reform
21 Task Force shall be created to bring together legislators and
22 stakeholders to consult each other and the public for the
23 purpose of reforming Illinois workers' compensation laws; and
24 be it further
 
25     RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House, the Minority
26 Leader of the House, the President of the Senate, and the
27 Minority Leader of the Senate shall each make two appointments
28 to the Task Force and each appointee shall be a member of the
29 General Assembly; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That additional members shall be appointed from
2 organizations as follows: one member appointed by the Illinois
3 Manufacturers Association; one member appointed by the
4 Illinois Retail Merchants Association; one member appointed by
5 the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce; one member appointed by
6 the Illinois chapter of the National Federation of Independent
7 Business; one member appointed by the Associated General
8 Contractors of Illinois; one member appointed by the Illinois
9 State Medical Society; one member appointed by the Illinois
10 Hospital Association; and three members appointed by the
11 Illinois AFL-CIO; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That all members appointed to the Task Force
13 shall receive no compensation for serving as a member but shall
14 be eligible to receive reimbursement for reasonable costs
15 associated with membership from the appropriate fund; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That two Task Force co-chairpersons, who are
18 members of the General Assembly, shall be nominated and elected
19 by Task Force members to preside over meetings of the Task
20 Force; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall commence business no
22 later than August 1, 2005; the Task Force shall conduct public
23 hearings at the call of the co-chairpersons; at least one
24 hearing shall be scheduled and convened in every region of
25 Illinois; time shall be allotted for members of the public to
26 offer remarks at meetings of the Task Force; and a report
27 detailing recommendations of the Task Force to reform Illinois'
28 workers' compensation laws shall be presented to the Governor
29 and the General Assembly no later than March 15, 2006; and be
30 it further
 
31     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall address each of the
32 following issues, among other workers' compensation issues and

 

 

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1 topics without limit: (i) a method by which only those medical
2 costs that are most equitable for employers and health care
3 providers are charged for rendering services to relieve
4 work-related injuries and diseases; (ii) the appropriateness
5 of measures found in State law to combat and prevent abuse of
6 the system; (iii) the identification of adequate compensation
7 for workers and families of workers unable to return to work
8 because of injury or disease that is also not cost-prohibitive
9 for employers; (iv) the existence and adequacy of programs that
10 promote and encourage workplace safety and injury and disease
11 prevention; and (v) the ability of the Illinois Workers'
12 Compensation Commission to mediate and adjudicate disputes in a
13 timely and fair manner.