H-1501              _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 686

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Sayan and Lux

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to compensation for temporary or permanent disability; and amending RCW 51.32.220.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 3, chapter 286, Laws of 1975 1st ex. sess. as last amended by section 19, chapter 63, Laws of 1982 and RCW 51.32.220 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1)(a) For persons under the age of sixty-five receiving compensation for temporary or permanent total disability pursuant to the provisions of chapter 51.32 RCW, such compensation shall be reduced by an amount equal to the benefits payable under the federal old-age, survivors and disability insurance act as now or hereafter amended not to exceed the amount of the reduction established pursuant to 42 USC 424a.  However, such reduction shall not apply when the combined compensation provided pursuant to chapter 51.32 RCW and the federal old-age, survivors and disability insurance act is less than the total benefits to which the federal reduction would apply, pursuant to 42 USC 424a.  Where any person described in this section refuses to authorize the release of information concerning the amount of benefits payable under said federal act the department's estimate of said amount shall be deemed to be correct unless and until the actual amount is established and no adjustment shall be made for any period of time covered by any such refusal.

          (((2))) (b) Any reduction under (a) of this subsection (((1) of this section)) shall be effective the month following the month in which the department or self-insurer is notified by the federal social security administration that the person is receiving disability benefits under the federal old-age, survivors and disability insurance act:  PROVIDED, That in the event of an overpayment of benefits the department or self-insurer may not recover more than the overpayments for the six months immediately preceding the date the department or self-insurer notifies the worker that an overpayment has occurred:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That upon determining that there has been an overpayment, the department or self-insurer shall immediately notify the person who received the overpayment that he or she shall be required to make repayment pursuant to this section and RCW 51.32.230.

          (((3))) (c) Recovery of any overpayment must be taken from future temporary or permanent total disability benefits or permanent partial disability benefits provided by this title.  In the case of temporary or permanent total disability benefits, the recovery shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the monthly amount due from the department or self-insurer or one-sixth of the total overpayment, whichever is the lesser.

          (((4))) (d) No reduction may be made unless the worker receives notice of the reduction prior to the month in which the reduction is made.

          (((5))) (e) In no event shall the reduction reduce total benefits to less than the greater amount the worker may be entitled to under this title or the federal old-age, survivors and disability insurance act.

          (((6))) (f) The director, pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with the procedures provided in the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.04 RCW, may exercise his discretion to waive, in whole or in part, the amount of any overpayment where the recovery would be against equity and good conscience.

          (((7))) (g) The amendment in this subsection (((1) of this section by this 1982 act)) by section 19, chapter 63, Laws of 1982, raising the age limit during which the reduction shall be made from age sixty-two to age sixty-five shall apply with respect to workers whose effective entitlement to total disability compensation begins after January 1, 1983.

(2)(a) Compensation paid under this section to any worker for any period with respect to which he or she is receiving or has received benefits under Title 50 RCW shall be reduced by the amount of unemployment benefits.

(b) Before ordering any compensation as limited in (a) of this subsection, the department shall request the department of employment security to:

(i) Inform the department as to whether the claimant is receiving unemployment benefits;

(ii) Notify the commission in the event that the claimant subsequently applies and receives unemployment benefits; and

(iii) Notify the department when the claimant ceases to receive unemployment benefits.