HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 919        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1863

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to the penalty for failure to timely report injuries under the workers' compensation act..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 6 of Chapter 152 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the last paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following:-

Any employer who fails to furnish timely notice of injury as prescribed in this section shall be punished by a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars when said notice is filed at least one but not more than thirty calendar days late.  Any employer who fails to furnish timely notice of injury as prescribed in this section shall be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars when said notice is filed at least thirty-one but not more than ninety calendar days late.  Any employer who fails to furnish timely notice of injury as prescribed in this section shall be punished by a fine of twenty-five hundred dollars when said notice is filed more than ninety calendar days late.  Each failure to pay a fine within thirty calendar days of receipt of a bill from the department shall be punished by an additional fine of two hundred and fifty dollars.  The Commissioner shall establish procedures for the review and adjudication of grievances by employers with respect to the assessment of a fine imposed under this section.