05/16/2017 (3) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

5 k� :3 :Wor er s��Com ensanon��f t�°' orFirs. Res' oriders�� << , Background: Current law requires a state medical examiner to carry out an examination or autopsy on any person who died under traumatic, suspicious, or otherwise unusual circumstances; who at time of death was unattended by a physician; or whose body is to be cremated, buried at sea, or dissected, in order to properly ascertain the cause of death. Although the governor appoints the state's medical ex- aminers, the counties in whose jurisdictions their districts overlap are responsible for compensating them, either through a direct fee agreement or through the county's budget allocations. The fees charged by the counties vary by location. Legislation #1: SB 1088 (Torres) proposed to have a mental or nervous injury suffered by a law en- forcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic be compensable under the workers' compensation law (both medical and wage benefits) if the mental or nervous injury is demon- strated by a preponderance of the evidence. Legislation #2: SB 516 (Perry) and HB 1019 (Miller, M.) proposed to have a mental or nervous injury suffered by a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician or paramedic be com- pensable under the workers' compensation law (both medical and wage benefits) if the mental or nerv- ous injury is shown to meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Update: Both bills died in committee. We should expect to see this again next session. ,.r.., .. :u.. ._� r.7..... ., .. >.fLr.d..:R!"::n. .:;y,•:ti,. Y:.:'r ^,,-� 2' +.S 3 ': :Vi``''n :• ., ;:1� �.:7�t..t 'i.5��, \, ... •i: �\:. .. ....: ...n...,.: i:s 5.4 L Ai: O.0 GOVERNMENT,-°F��ISCAII=�RE � F r N IBIIh� S O S Background: Current law requires a state medical examiner to carry out an examination or autopsy on any person who died under traumatic, suspicious, or otherwise unusual circumstances; who at time of death was unattended by a physician; or whose body is to be cremated, buried at sea, or dissected, in order to properly ascertain the cause of death. Although the governor appoints the state's medical ex- aminers, the counties in whose jurisdictions their districts overlap are responsible for compensating them, either through a direct fee agreement or through the county's budget allocations. The fees charged by the counties vary by location. Legislation: HB 7063 (Ways and Means Committee ; Caldwell) proposed to (1) create a new statutory maximum millage rate for local governments, (2) change the rules for approving a referendum pertaining to a local option or a property tax levy, (3) require voter approval for any new tax -supported debt that pledges revenues beyond five years, and (4) prohibit a local government from enacting, extending or increasing the following local option taxes if the local government adopted a millage rate in excess of its rolled -back rate in any of the previous three years: local communications services taxes, tourist development taxes, tourist impact taxes, discretionary surtaxes on documents, public service taxes, local business taxes, motor fuel and diesel taxes, convention development taxes, local option food and beverage taxes, and local option sales taxes. Update: The bill died in committee. We should expect to see this as a priori of the House Speaker. P209