Requires the workers' compensation board to submit a supplemental report every year

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic1

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Christopher Ryan says this is needed

In 1914, the State established the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB), which is a no-fault worker compensation system for such workers who are injured or killed on the job. Prior to the establishment of the WCB, injured workers would have to sue their employer in the courts, which was ineffective and often did not work. The WCB is tasked with protect- ing the rights of employees and to ensure the proper delivery of bene- fits. The WCB has a long, storied history of protecting workers who through no fault of their own are injured. However, like in all systems that age over time, the WCB has become a cumbersome, byzantine, and confusing system for New Yorkers to navigate. The last time the WCB was updated was in 2007, sixteen years ago. Often, the WCB is difficult to work with, or confusing to operate, or jammed up with frivolous appeals that disenfranchise workers from receiving the benefits they deserve. There- fore, it is important for the Legislature to review the WCB's work from time to time to ensure that it's operating properly. Currently, the WCB is required to submit an annual report to the Governor detailing the work it has done in hearing and deciding cases. However, the statute is quite limited in scope. Requiring the WCB to release a more detailed supplemental report, in addition to the existing annual report, will allow the Legislature and public to have a broader sense of the work the WCB conducts, limiting confusion and increasing transparency. This bill would require the WCB to release an annual report on the status of and methods to modernize the WCB.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.