BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to compensation during appeal of department of labor and industries' industrial insurance orders; and reenacting and amending RCW 51.52.060.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 51.52.060 and 1995 c 253 s 1 and 1995 c 199 s 7 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, any worker, beneficiary, employer, health services provider, or other person aggrieved by an order, decision, or award of the department must, before he or she appeals to the courts, file with the board and the director, by mail or personally, within sixty days from the day on which a copy of the order, decision, or award was communicated to such person, a notice of appeal to the board. However, a health services provider or other person aggrieved by a department order or decision making demand, whether with or without penalty, solely for repayment of sums paid to a provider of medical, dental, vocational, or other health services rendered to an industrially injured worker must, before he or she appeals to the courts, file with the board and the director, by mail or personally, within twenty days from the day on which a copy of the order or decision was communicated to the health services provider upon whom the department order or decision was served, a notice of appeal to the board.

(b) Failure to file a notice of appeal with both the board and the department shall not be grounds for denying the appeal if the notice of appeal is filed with either the board or the department.

(2) Within ten days of the date on which an appeal has been granted by the board, the board shall notify the other interested parties to the appeal of the receipt of the appeal and shall forward a copy of the notice of appeal to the other interested parties. Within twenty days of the receipt of such notice of the board, the worker or the employer may file with the board a cross-appeal from the order of the department from which the original appeal was taken.

(3) If within the time limited for filing a notice of appeal to the board from an order, decision, or award of the department, the department directs the submission of further evidence or the investigation of any further fact, the time for filing the notice of appeal shall not commence to run until the person has been advised in writing of the final decision of the department in the matter. In the event the department directs the submission of further evidence or the investigation of any further fact, as provided in this section, the department shall render a final order, decision, or award within ninety days from the date further submission of evidence or investigation of further fact is ordered which time period may be extended by the department for good cause stated in writing to all interested parties for an additional ninety days.

(4) The department, either within the time limited for appeal, or within thirty days after receiving a notice of appeal, may:

(a) Modify, reverse, or change any order, decision, or award; or

(b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection, hold an order, decision, or award in abeyance for a period of ninety days which time period may be extended by the department for good cause stated in writing to all interested parties for an additional ninety days pending further investigation in light of the allegations of the notice of appeal; or

(ii) Hold an order, decision, or award issued under RCW 51.32.160 in abeyance for a period not to exceed ninety days from the date of receipt of an application under RCW 51.32.160. The department may extend the ninety-day time period for an additional sixty days for good cause.

For purposes of this subsection, good cause includes delay that results from conduct of the claimant that is subject to sanction under RCW 51.32.110.

The board shall deny the appeal upon the issuance of an order under (b) (i) or (ii) of this subsection holding an earlier order, decision, or award in abeyance, without prejudice to the appellant's right to appeal from any subsequent determinative order issued by the department.

This subsection (4)(b) does not apply to applications deemed granted under RCW 51.32.160.

(5) An employer shall have the right to appeal an application deemed granted under RCW 51.32.160 on the same basis as any other application adjudicated pursuant to that section.

(6) A provision of this section shall not be deemed to change, alter, or modify the practice or procedure of the department for the payment of awards pending appeal. However, if an employer appeals to the board a department order granting temporary total disability compensation or medical aid benefits to a worker, the worker is entitled to the compensation or medical aid benefits while the appeal is pending before the board, subject to the requirements of RCW 51.32.240(3).