NC H988

Establishes the Uninsured Employers' Fund within the North Carolina Industrial Commission to provide workers' compensation benefits to injured workers denied coverage due to employer misclassification or failure to maintain required insurance.

Imposes annual surcharges on all workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance policyholders and self-insured employers to fund the program, with surcharge collection suspended when fund balance exceeds $5,000,000.

Assesses uninsured employers a $1,000 penalty per claim plus an additional 15% of awarded compensation (capped at $5,000 per claim) to be paid into the fund.

Authorizes the North Carolina Industrial Commission Chair to approve benefit payments from the fund for reasonable medical expenses and temporary disability, with temporary disability benefits offset by federal Social Security disability payments received by claimants.

Appropriates $2,500,000 from the General Fund as the initial corpus of the fund for fiscal year 2013-2014 and requires annual reporting to the State Treasurer and Legislative Commission on fund status and administrative costs.