2018 -- S 2602

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LC004653

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - WORKERS' COMPENSATION -

GENERAL PROVISIONS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lombardi, McCaffrey, Jabour, Nesselbush, and Conley

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 28-29-17 and 28-29-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-29

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entitled "Workers' Compensation - General Provisions" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     28-29-17. Waiver of common law rights -- Notice of claim of common law right.

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     Employees or corporate officers of an employer, or managers, managing members or

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members of a limited liability company subject to or who have elected to become subject to the

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provisions of chapters 29 -- 38 of this title as provided in ยง 28-29-8 shall be held to have waived

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his or her right of action at common law to recover damages for personal injuries if he or she has

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not given his or her employer and its workers' compensation insurance carrier at the time of the

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contract of hire or appointment notice in writing that he or she claims that right and within ten

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(10) days after that has filed a copy of the notice with the director, or, if the contract of hire or

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appointment was made before the employer became subject to or elected to become subject to the

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provisions of those chapters, the employee, or corporate officer, or manager, managing member

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or member of a limited liability company must have given notice and filed it with the director and

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its workers' compensation insurance carrier within ten (10) days after the filing by the employer

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who is subject to or who has elected to become subject to the provisions of those chapters of the

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written statement as provided. That waiver shall continue in force for the term of one year, and

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after that, without further act on his or her part, for successive terms of one year each, unless the

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employee, or corporate officer, or manager, managing member or member of a limited liability

 

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company, at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the first or any succeeding year files

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with the director and its workers' compensation insurance carrier a notice in writing to the effect

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that he or she desires to claim his or her right of action at common law and within ten (10) days

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thereafter gives notice of this to his or her employer.

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     28-29-19. Waiver of claim of common law rights.

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     (a) Any employee, or corporate officer, or manager, managing member or member of a

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limited liability company, or the parent or guardian of any minor employee, who has given notice

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to the employer and its workers' compensation insurance carrier that he or she claimed his or her

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right of action at common law may waive that claim by filing a notice in writing with the director

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and the employer or his or her agent and its workers' compensation insurance carrier which shall

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take effect five (5) days after the filing with the director.

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     (b) Any person who is appointed a corporate officer between January 1, 1999 and

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December 31, 2001 and was not previously an employee of the corporation may elect to become

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subject to chapters 29 -- 38 of this title upon filing a notice in writing with the director which

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notice takes effect five (5) days after the filing of his or her notice.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - WORKERS' COMPENSATION -

GENERAL PROVISIONS

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     This act would require notice of claims of common law right to be given to an employer

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and the employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier and clarifies liability of employers

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and their insurers for workers' compensation claims.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004653

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