New York State Temporary State Commission on Workers' Compensation and Disability Benefits Minutes, Hearing and Subject Files
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
The principal mandate of the Temporary State Commission on Workers' Compensation and Disability Benefits was to "examine the
efficiency" of the workers' compensation and disability benefits system in New York State. This series contains correspondence,
reports, hearing transcripts, meeting minutes, contract documents, clippings, and other published material generated by the
Commission in carrying out its functions. Included are copies of the Commission's published research papers and preliminary
and final reports.
Creator:
Title:
Minutes, hearing and subject files
Quantity:
Inclusive Dates:
1984-1986
Series Number:
14484
Arrangement
Alphabetical by subject or chronological by date.
Administrative History
The Temporary State Commission on Workers' Compensation and Disability Benefits was established by the Laws of 1983, Chapter
415. Laws of 1985, Chapter 629, extended the Commission's life through 1986. The Legislature directed the Commission to: examine
the efficiency of the workers' compensation and disability benefits program; study the adequacy of existing protection to
workers suffering from occupational diseases; develop a means of collecting statistics on the disability benefits program;
and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.
The Commission included representatives of labor unions, insurance companies, and other interested groups, as well as the
Commissioner of Labor, the Superintendent of Insurance, and the Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board (ex officio).
Karen Burstein, President of the Civil Service Commission, presided over the Temporary Commission on Workers' Compensation.
The Commission met 25 times, held public hearings, sponsored special research studies, and issued a preliminary and a final
report.
The Commission's principal mandate was to "examine the efficiency" of the workers' compensation and disability benefits system.
This mandate was so broad that the Commission decided to examine more narrowly defined issues: the structure, level, calculation,
and coverage of benefits; the operations and costs of the Workers' Compensation Board (particularly administrative and adjudicatory
delays); the operations of insurers and the cost of their premiums; and occupational diseases and rehabilitation.
The Commission's final recommendations called for the most thorough restructuring of the workers' compensation and disability
system since the program was established in New York in 1914. The Commission's seven major recommendations were as follows:
adoption as regulations of uniform medical guidelines for the evaluation of impairments and functional limitations; adoption
of a "hybrid" system of benefits; phased elimination of the differential between the statutory maximums for total and partial
disability; adoption of an offset of old age social security benefits from permanent disability benefits; increased supplements
for recipients of permanent total and death benefits; adoption of flexible minimum benefits equal to 10 percent of the State's
average weekly wage; and limitation and continued study of lump sum settlements.
Scope and Content Note
This series contains correspondence, reports, hearing transcripts, meeting minutes, contract documents, clippings, and other
published material generated by the Temporary State Commission on Workers' Compensation and Disability Benefits. A significant
portion of the series consists of the Commission's public hearing files for hearings held in Buffalo, Albany, New York City,
Syracuse, Binghamton, Hempstead, and Rochester; contract files documenting work done for the Commission; and subject files
maintained by the Commission on various topics. Correspondence includes letters submitted by individuals who had filed workers'
compensation claims, businesses, labor unions, physicians, and other parties. Reports and publications deal with such topics
as unemployment insurance, occupational therapy, disability claims, Workers' Compensation Board, and Workers' Compensation
Law. Copies of the Commission's published research papers and preliminary and final reports are located in Box 7. (They are
also available at the New York State Library.)
Related Publications
The Commission's preliminary and final reports, as well as published research papers, are held by the New York State Library.
Access Restrictions
Some correspondence may be restricted to protect personal privacy.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):
Detailed Description
| Dates |
Contents |
Box |
Accretion: 14484-86 |
|
Temporary State Commission on Workers' Compensation and Disability Benefits |
1 |
|
Public Hearings - Mailing Lists |
1 |
|
Public Hearings - Media |
1 |
|
Public Hearings - Replies |
1 |
|
Public Hearing Testimonies - Misc. |
1 |
| 1984 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Albany, 12/05/84 |
1 |
| 1984 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Albany, 12/05/84 |
1 |
| 1984 |
Schedule of People Testifying - New York City, 12/10/84 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing - Replies - Buffalo, 02/21/85 |
1 |
| 1984 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - New York City, 12/10/84 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Buffalo, 02/21/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Buffalo, 02/21/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Syracuse, 03/13/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing - Replies - Syracuse, 03/13/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Syracuse, 03/13/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Binghamton, 06/07/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Binghamton, 06/07/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Hempstead, 06/21/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Hempstead, 06/21/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing - Replies - Hempstead, 06/21/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Schedule of People Testifying - Rochester, 06/14/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing - Replies - Rochester, 06/14/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing - Replies - Binghamton, 06/07/85 |
1 |
| 1985 |
Public Hearing Testimonies - Rochester, 06/14/85 |
1 |
| 1984 |
Session I - August 7, 1984 |
2 |
| 1984 |
Session II - September 20, 1984 |
2 |
| 1984 |
Session III - October 5, 1984 |
2 |
| 1984 |
Session IV - November 2, 1984 |
2 |
| 1984 |
Session V - December 20, 1984 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session VI - January 28, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session VII - February 8, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session VIII - March 22, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session IX - April 19, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session X - May 9, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session XI - July 30, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session XII - September 6, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session XIII - October 21, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session XIV - November 20, 1985 |
3 |
| 1985 |
Session XV - December 19, 1985 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XVI - January 10, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XVII - January 17, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XVIII - January 18, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XIX - January 19, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XX - February 7, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XXI - February 14, 1986 |
3 |
| 1986 |
Session XXII - February 18, 1986 |
3 |
| 1985 June 26 |
Adjudicatory Procedures Subcommittee (06/03/85) |
3 |
| 1985 June 17 |
Administrative Practices Subcommittee (06/03/85) |
3 |
| 1985 January, July |
Administrative Practices Subcommittee (06/17/85) |
3 |
| 1977, 1981-1986 |
Transcripts of Public Hearings; Reports and Studies |
4 |
|
A.G. Opinions re: Commission |
5 |
|
Commission Members' Statements |
5 |
|
Consultant - John Burton |
5 |
|
Correspondence - Incoming |
5 |
|
Correspondence - Outgoing |
5 |
|
Correspondence (DF-KSB) |
5 |
|
Doctors & Other Health Care Providers |
5 |
|
Exclusivity of Remedy (Dole v. Dow) |
5 |
|
Extension of Temporary State Commission on WC and DB |
5 |
| 1982 September |
Labor Committee - W.C. Hearing (9/82) |
5 |
|
Legal Issues - FOIL, POL, OHL, Parliamentary Matters |
6 |
|
Management and Productivity |
6 |
|
Medical Practice under the Workers' Compensation Law |
6 |
|
Recodification - Elmendorf |
6 |
|
Social Security Offsets |
6 |
|
The State Insurance Fund |
6 |
|
Temporary Commission - Budget |
6 |
|
U.I. Claimant Representative Project |
6 |
|
W.C. Legislative Proposals |
6 |
|
W.C. Statistics and Reports |
6 |
|
W.C./V.F. Benefit Charts |
6 |
|
W.C.B. Database Projects - Barshied |
6 |
| 1980, 1983-1986 |
Commission Preliminary and Final Reports; Other Publications |
7 |
