HBA-MPM H.B. 49 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 49 By: McClendon Business & Industry 4/9/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law authorizes the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) to release information regarding a compensable injury to certain parties if a workers' compensation claim is open or pending, on appeal to a court, or the subject of a subsequent suit in which the insurance carrier or the subsequent injury fund is subrogated to the rights of the claimant. However, current law does not expressly authorize TWCC to release information to be released to a litigant in a subsequent lawsuit involving workers' compensation claim in which an employee's injury information may be relevant. House Bill 49 authorizes the release of this information to a litigant. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 49 amends the Labor Code to authorize the release of information to a litigant in a subsequent lawsuit in which the employee's prior injury information may be relevant. The release of information applies to information collected by the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission contained in an employee's workers compensation claim, whether it be current or prior compensable injury information. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.