SB 91 Summary

• Expands workers' compensation fraud crimes under Section 13A-11-124 to include making false statements, coercing others to make false statements, presenting multiple claims for the same loss, and fabricating or destroying material documents, all classified as Class C felonies.

• Authorizes civil liability for persons injured by fraudulent workers' compensation claims, allowing recovery of compensatory damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees.

• Requires the Department of Labor to preserve all documentation and provide relevant information to district attorneys or the Attorney General upon suspicion that a person knowingly made false statements material to a claim.

• Mandates the Department of Labor to issue orders requiring repayment of fraudulently obtained compensation plus simple interest to the employer or carrier, with amounts deductible from future benefits payable to the fraudster.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and gubernatorial approval, and excludes the bill from Amendment 621 constitutional requirements because it defines a new crime or amends an existing crime definition.