BWC Reform Legislation Passes Ohio House

The Ohio House of Representatives today voted to pass House Bill 493, a component of the Mid-Biennium Review (MBR) package that makes various revisions to Ohio’s Workers’ Compensation Law.

Among other provisions in the legislation, House Bill 493:

• Requires the Administrator of Workers’ Compensation to calculate workers’ compensation premiums for most employers on a prospective, rather than retrospective, basis
• Requires most employers to pay premiums on an annual basis, rather than semi-annually as under current law
• Makes other changes to conform the Workers’ Compensation Law to the prospective payment of premiums
• Allows the Administrator to provide limited other-states’ coverage to provide workers’ compensation coverage for Ohio employees who are temporarily working in another state in addition to other-states’ coverage
• Prescribes procedures the Administrator must follow to secure a vehicle through which to provide limited other-states’ coverage, which is similar to how the Administrator selects the vehicle for other-states’ coverage under continuing law
• Eliminates the requirement that an employers that has other-states’ coverage segregate payroll on the employer’s annual payroll report based upon whether an employee is covered under other-states’ coverage
• Allows the Administrator to adopt rules with respect to the information to be excluded from the calculation of an employer’s state fund premium when the employer obtains other-states’ coverage through the Administrator, rather than requiring the information to be excluded as under current law

“I am pleased with the passage of this BWC legislation,” said State Representative Barbara Sears, (R-Monclova), who sponsored House Bill 493 with State Representative Mike Henne (R-Clayton). “Ohio continues to prioritize the needs of our injured workers with the need to continue to improve the quality and the competitiveness of our Workers’ Compensation program.”

“We have addressed some of the concerns that Ohio businesses have regarding Workers’ Compensation,” said Rep. Henne. “House Bill 493 is a huge step in the right direction toward making Ohio’s system more workable and fair.”

House Bill 493 has received the support of BWC Director Steve Buehrer, Jason T. Stevenson of Professional Independent Agents Association of Ohio, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, NFIB Ohio, Ohio Pharmacists Association, Associated General Contractors of Ohio, Ohio State Chiropractic Association, Ohio Home Builders Association, Ohio Manufacturer’s Association, and Ohio School Boards Association.

House Bill 493 will move to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.