HBA-MPM H.B. 159 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 159 By: Garcia Business & Industry 4/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current workers' compensation law in Texas provides that workers injured on the job receive a weekly impairment income benefit or weekly supplemental income benefit of no greater than 70 percent of the state average weekly wage rounded to the nearest dollar. Some argue that workers deserve better workers' compensation benefits than mandated by current law. House Bill 159 provides that an injured worker receive no more than 100 percent of the state average weekly wage. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 159 amends the Labor Code to provide that in the computation of workers' compensation benefits, a weekly impairment income benefit or weekly supplemental income benefit may not exceed 100 percent rather than 70 percent of the state average weekly wage rounded to the nearest whole dollar. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.