HB 7009 - Workers' Compensation Reform

• Redefines "specificity" for workers' compensation petitions to require detailed information about statutory classification, time period, benefit amounts, calculations, and medical justification with physician recommendations and supporting documentation.

• Requires claimants to sign an attestation acknowledging that workers' compensation law requires them to pay their own attorney fees before engaging an attorney, with failure to sign prohibiting petition filing except pro se.

• Extends temporary total disability benefits from 104 to 130 weeks (104 weeks plus up to 26 additional weeks) when employees have not reached maximum medical improvement, and establishes a 260-week combined limit for temporary and training benefits.

• Modifies attorney fee awards by changing the attachment period from 30 to 45 days after petition receipt, allowing departure fees up to $150 per hour capped at $150 total for medical-only claims, and requiring detailed hour allocation among claimed benefits.

• Establishes requirements for good faith dispute resolution before petitions are filed, with sanctions of up to $150 per hour in attorney fees and expenses for failure to attempt resolution, and implements timeframes for judges to rule on dismissal motions.