Relating to standards for determination of loss or permanent impairment for purposes of permanent partial disability under workers’ compensation and including applicability provisions

Under current law, determinations of extent of loss or percentage of permanent impairment for purposes of permanent partial disability under workers’ compensation use the guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment published by the American medical association, as adopted by the workers’ compensation commissioner by rule. This bill specifies that the most recent annual update to the most recent edition of the guides shall be used. The bill strikes the requirement that the workers’ compensation commissioner adopt the guides by rule. The workers’ compensation commissioner has adopted the fifth edition of the guides, published in 2001, by rule. The most recent annual update to the most recent edition of the guides is the 2023 update to the sixth edition. The bill applies to determinations of extent of loss or percentage of permanent impairment for purposes of permanent partial disability under workers’ compensation occurring on or after the effective date of the bill.