OK SB1973

All Workers' Compensation Court en banc proceedings must be recorded by a court reporter, and any reversal of a trial judge's decision must contain specific findings explaining the reversal

Appeal fees to the Court en banc increase from $125 to $175, with $150 deposited to the Administrator of Workers' Compensation Revolving Fund; a new $100 fee is added for Supreme Court appeals

Case filing fees increase from $75 to $140, and case reopening fees increase from $75 to $130; annual application fees for group self-insureds, individual self-insured employers, and servicing companies double from $500 to $1,000

The Administrator must notify injured workers within 30 days of an Employer's First Notice of Injury about the availability of the counselor program and mediation services

Claimants must attend mediation sessions, and all parties must have representatives with full settlement authority; the Administrator is now required (rather than permitted) to waive payment to health care providers found to have engaged in abusive practices for up to 5 years