Item 4: Ratification of IGR Committee Actions

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ATTACHMENT C M I N U T E S Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations HRRS Conference Room (Room 101) – Eugene City Hall – 777 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon May 29, 2007 4:30 p.m. PRESENT: Bonny Bettman, Chair; Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, members; Kitty Piercy, Mayor; Brenda Wilson, Randi Zimmer, City Manager's Office; Eric Jones, Eric Wold, Lacey Risdal, Public Works Department; Joe Rizzi, Human Resources and Risk Services Department. 1. Call to Order and Review Agenda Ms. Bettman called the meeting of the Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (CCIGR) to order. There were no changes to the agenda. 2. Review Pending Legislation SB 506-A Ms. Wilson explained that the bill sought to clarify the definition of medical sequelae as there was no current definition in the statute. She stated that when a workers compensation claim was filed and accepted and compensation was determined there could be a motion for reconsideration. She said during the reconsideration the medical arbiter could add on a medical disability which did not allow for additional testimony from either the claimant or the employer and was without a right to appeal. She related that a lot of the testimony in hearings had raised the concern that this would prevent a claimant from claiming, for instance, that a blood clot resulting from a broken leg was a part of the original injury and merited a further claim. Even though the committee was assured that the bill would not prevent this type of claim in this type of situation, two committee members had been very uncomfortable with the bill. She reported that the bill had not moved out of the committee because it did not have the votes. Ms. Bettman asked why the supporters of the bill wished to prevent the claimant from adding on an emerging condition related to the original condition. Ms. Wilson responded that the bill did not prevent such a claim, rather it prevented the medical arbiter from adding it on after the claim had been closed. She noted that the supporters of the bill were employers, who would be prevented from testifying or investigating further whether or not a medical sequelae was actually a result of the on-the-job injury. She related that Representative Paul Holvey had expressed concern that the bill would cause the claimant to file a new claim and to have to start over. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to Monitor the bill. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations May 29, 2007 Page 1