27-14-408. Administrative or program costs reasonably available

27-14-408. Administrative or program costs reasonably available or legally allowable under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, shall not be advanced or reimbursed pursuant to this subsection.  (f) Proceeds from the sale of revenue bonds issued under W.S. 27-14-704, together with any earnings from the investment of bond proceeds, shall be deposited into the worker's compensation claims payment account until such bonds are paid or provision for their payment has otherwise been made. Account proceeds may be invested or reinvested by the state treasurer at the direction of the state loan and investment board and may in addition to payment of claims and awards, program and administrative expenses, program reserves and debt service, be used to pay any ongoing and issuance costs of revenue bonds under W.S. 27-14-704.

(g) The state treasurer, in consultation with the director, shall report to the joint appropriations interim committee not later than December 1, 2016 and every five (5) years thereafter, on the status of the worker's compensation account and the projected status of the account during the subsequent five (5) year period.

27-14-702. No garnishment, attachment or execution on unpaid award.

Except as provided under W.S. 27-14-703, no money paid or payable under this act prior to issuance and delivery of the warrant therefor shall be assigned, charged or taken in execution or by garnishment. Any such assignment, attachment, garnishment or charge is void.

27-14-703. Disclosure of child support obligations required; notification; amount withheld; payment; applicability of provisions.

(a) An injured employee filing a claim for benefits payable under this act shall disclose if he owes child support obligations enforced pursuant to a plan described in 42 U.S.C. § 654 and approved under 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq. If the employee owes child support obligations and is awarded benefits, the division shall notify the state or local child support enforcement agency operating pursuant to a plan described in 42 U.S.C. § 654 and enforcing the obligation that the employee is eligible for benefits.

(b) The division shall withhold from benefits payable to an employee owing child support obligations:

(i) The amount specified by the employee to the division to be withheld under this subsection;  (ii) The amount determined pursuant to an agreement under 42 U.S.C. § 654(19)(B)(i) and submitted to the division by the state or local child support enforcement agency; or

(iii) Any amount otherwise required to be withheld from benefits payable under this act pursuant to legal process defined under 42 U.S.C. § 662(e) and properly served upon the division.

(c) Any amount withheld under subsection (b) of this section shall be paid by the division to the appropriate state or local child support enforcement agency, treated as if paid to the employee as benefits under this act and as if paid by the employee to the state or local child support enforcement agency in satisfaction of his child support obligations.

(d) This section applies only if arrangements are made for reimbursement by the state or local child support enforcement agency for administrative costs incurred by the division attributable to child support obligations enforced by the agency.

27-14-704. Worker's compensation revenue bonds; department determination; issuance by state loan and investment board; bonding procedure, terms and conditions.

(a) The department may upon determining that the issuance of revenue bonds would be financially beneficial to the worker's compensation account and that bond issuance would not negatively impact employer contribution rates to the account, request the state loan and investment board to issue worker's compensation revenue bonds to fund awards and claims, program and administrative expenses and program reserves. Upon receipt of a request under this subsection, the state loan and investment board shall review the department's determination and if it concurs with the determination, the board may issue worker's compensation revenue bonds in one (1) or more series not to exceed an aggregate amount of two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000.00). The net proceeds from the sale of the bonds shall after payment of issuance costs, be deposited into the worker's compensation claims payment account established under W.S. 27-14-701(f).

(b) Revenue bonds issued pursuant to this section are limited obligations payable solely from and secured by funds deposited within the worker's compensation account as created under W.S. 27-14-701(a) and the worker's compensation claims payment account. The bondholders may not look to any general or other fund for payment of the bonds except for revenues pledged therefor. The revenue bonds shall not constitute an indebtedness or a debt within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory provision or limitation. The bonds shall not be considered or held to be general obligations of the state but shall constitute limited obligations of the state and the board shall not pledge the state's full faith and credit for payment of the bonds. Each series of bonds may be issued by the board at public or private sale, in denominations and registered form, with such provision for conversion or exchange, for establishing interest rates or methods of determining rates on a variable or fixed rate basis, for establishing maturities and redemption provisions, as determined by the board. The bonds shall be payable at the office of a fiscal agent designated by the board. The state loan and investment board shall not issue any revenue bonds under this section unless the sale results in an economic benefit to the worker's compensation program as determined by the board. In all other respects, the board may prescribe the form and terms of the revenue bonds and shall do whatever is lawful and necessary for their issuance and payment. Action taken by the board under this section shall be approved by a majority of its members.

ARTICLE 8 - ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

27-14-801. Duties of director.

(a) Repealed by Laws 1990, ch. 63, § 3.

(b) Repealed by Laws 1990, ch. 63, § 3.

(c) Repealed by Laws 1990, ch. 63, § 3.

(d) The director may provide for the investigation of facts and circumstances regarding any claim filed under this act. To carry out investigations, he may acquire the services of one (1) or more physicians licensed to practice medicine in this state to serve as medical consultants in investigating any injury or death resulting from injury, the treatment of any injury or death or the recovery of any employee which is reported to the division. The physician shall be paid on a fee for service basis from the worker's compensation account. The director may also employ consultants to review medical and hospital bills submitted to the division.  (e) The director shall:

(i) Repealed by Laws 1996, ch. 82, § 2.

(ii) Periodically provide for educational programs for and consult with employee groups, employers, hospital administrators and health care providers;

(iii) Report to the appropriate professional or facility licensing authority any suspected substandard or inappropriate medical or health care provided to an injured worker by the provider or health care facility;

(iv) Provide information and guidance to employers and employees as provided by W.S. 9-2-2602(b)(viii).

(f) Any duties designated by statute upon the director may be performed by his designee.

27-14-802. Rulemaking power; fees; state's average wages; vocational rehabilitation; contracts with clerks of district court.

(a) The director may adopt rules and regulations for administration of this act. The director shall by rule and regulation establish criteria for qualification of resident and nonresident employers, provide for advance payments of employer premiums under W.S. 27-14-202(e), provide fee schedules for all medical and hospital care rendered injured employees and for the establishment of the state's average monthly wage. In addition, the division may by rule and regulation establish a separate fee schedule for surgical procedures and hospital admissions preauthorized by the division. Changes in any rule or regulation adopted under this subsection shall be considered only at quarterly intervals.

(b) Before the last day of each quarter in each year, the department shall estimate the average monthly and weekly wage for the twelve (12) months preceding the quarter, based on unemployment insurance commission information and other available statistics.

(c) The division, together with the division of vocational rehabilitation within the department of workforce services, shall jointly establish consistent rules and regulations for the implementation of W.S. 27-14-408.  (d) The division may contract with the clerks of district court on a county by county basis, for compensation mutually agreed upon, to perform the following functions:

(i) Technical assistance to employers, employees, health care providers and other interested parties in complying with the requirements of this act and interacting with the worker's compensation system;

(ii) Providing necessary forms to employers, employees health care providers and other interested parties;

(iii) Responding to inquiries on the status of particular cases;

(iv) Obtaining documents including confidential documents, concerning individual cases and transmitting these documents to authorized persons;

(v) Retention and storage of records prior to January 1, 1997; and

(vi) Any other administrative function useful in the management of the worker's compensation program.

(e) Compensation negotiated pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall be paid from the worker's compensation account and the agreement may be modified at any time by mutual consent of the parties or may be terminated by either party following notice specified in the agreement.

27-14-803. Investigatory powers; examination of employer's records; subpoenas.

(a) In addition to W.S. 27-14-801(d) and if the administrator has reason to believe that an employee, employer, health care provider or any representative thereof has engaged in any activity in violation of this act, he shall make an investigation to determine if this act has been violated and, to the extent necessary for this purpose, may conduct discovery pursuant to the Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure.

(b) The administrator may examine the books, accounts, payrolls or business operation of any employer to secure any information necessary for any investigation conducted under this section and for the administration of this act at any reasonable time on twenty-four (24) hours notice but excluding Sundays and holidays unless waived by the employer, either in person or through any authorized inspector, agent or deputy.

(c) If records necessary for an investigation under this section are located outside this state, the person being investigated shall:

(i) Make them available to the administrator at a convenient location within this state;

(ii) Pay the reasonable and necessary expenses for the administrator or his representative to examine them at the location at which maintained; or

(iii) Provide access to comparable officials of the state in which the records are located for inspection as the administrator may require.

(d) If the employer, employee, health care provider or any representative thereof refuses to cooperate and assist discovery by the administrator pursuant to this section, the attorney general may, at the request of the administrator and upon reasonable notice to all parties, apply to the district court for a subpoena or for an order compelling compliance.

27-14-804. Statistical compilation; annual report and projection; additional reporting requirements.

(a) The director shall:

(i) Secure and compile statistical information concerning injuries occurring in employment, showing the number of injuries or fatalities occurring in the employment and any other information relevant to the proper operation or administration of this law;

(ii) Report to the governor as provided by W.S.