Finds that: (1) It is fundamental to the Washington workers' compensation system that claims be adjudicated and resolved in a fair, informal, and cooperative environment that benefits the injured worker, the employer, and the department of labor and industries;

(2) With an appropriate auditing program and statutory penalty structure, more flexibility and authority for self-insured employers to administer their claims should be granted; and

(3) Revisions to the industrial insurance self-insurance program should be made to grant self-insured employers more authority to actively participate in workers' compensation claims.