{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-19","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 85A, § 85A-19","heading":"Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission","body":"A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation\n\nCommission, an executive agency of the State of Oklahoma, which\n\nshall have the exclusive responsibility and duty to carry out the\n\nprovisions of the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, except\n\nas otherwise provided.\n\nB. The Commission shall consist of three (3) full-time\n\ncommissioners, each of whom must have been involved in the workers'\n\ncompensation field for at least three (3) years, appointed by the\n\nGovernor: one of whom is chosen from a slate of three selected by\n\nthe Speaker of the House of Representatives, with all three\n\nconfirmed by the Senate. The term of each appointee shall be six\n\n(6) years to administer the provisions of this act. The Governor\n\nmay request a subsequent slate of nominees from the Speaker of the\n\nHouse of Representatives if a suitable nominee is not found. Any or\n\nall of the commissioners may be reappointed for additional six-year\n\nterms upon reconfirmation by the Senate. However, the initial\n\ncommissioners shall serve staggered terms of two (2), four (4), and\n\nsix (6) years, respectively, as determined by the Governor. If the\n\nLegislature is not in session at the time of appointment, the\n\nappointment shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate upon\n\nconvening of the next regular session of the Legislature.\n\nMembership on the Commission shall be a full-time position and no\n\ncommissioner shall have any other employment, unless authorized or\n\nexcused by law. Each commissioner shall receive a salary equal to\n\nthat paid to a district judge of this state.\n\nC. The Commission shall have the authority to adopt reasonable\n\nrules within its respective areas of responsibility including the\n\nrules of procedure for administrative hearings, after notice and\n\npublic hearing, for effecting the purposes of the Administrative\n\nWorkers' Compensation Act, in accordance with the Oklahoma\n\nAdministrative Procedures Act. All rules, upon adoption, shall be\n\npublished and be made available to the public and, if not\n\ninconsistent with the law, shall be binding in the administration of\n\nthe Administrative Workers' Compensation Act.\n\nD. The principal office of the Commission shall be situated in\n\nthe City of Oklahoma City in quarters assigned by the Office of\n\nManagement and Enterprise Services. The Commission shall maintain\n\nand keep open, during reasonable business hours, the office in\n\nOklahoma City, for the transaction of business, at which office its\n\nofficial records and papers shall be kept. The Commission or any\n\ncommissioner may hold hearings in any city of this state.\n\nE. The Governor shall appoint one of the commissioners to be\n\nchair of the Commission. In addition to other duties, the chair of\n\nthe Commission shall have the following powers and duties:\n\n1. To organize, direct and develop the administrative work of\n\nthe administrative law judges, including but not limited to\n\ndocketing, clerical, technical and financial work and establishment\n\nof hours of operation;\n\n2. To employ administrative staff for the Commission, within\n\nbudgetary limitation; and\n\n3. Such other duties and responsibilities authorized by law or\n\nas the Commission may prescribe.\n\nF. All appeals or disputes arising from actions of the\n\nCommission shall be governed by provisions of the Administrative\n\nWorkers' Compensation Act and the Commission shall not be subject to\n\nthe provisions of the Oklahoma Administrative Procedures Act, except\n\nas provided in the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act.\n\nG. When any commissioner of the Commission is disqualified for\n\nany reason to hear and participate in the determination of any\n\nmatter pending before the Commission, the Governor shall appoint a\n\nqualified person to hear and participate in the decision on the\n\nparticular matter. The special commissioner so appointed shall have\n, except\n\nas provided in the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act.\n\nG. When any commissioner of the Commission is disqualified for\n\nany reason to hear and participate in the determination of any\n\nmatter pending before the Commission, the Governor shall appoint a\n\nqualified person to hear and participate in the decision on the\n\nparticular matter. The special commissioner so appointed shall have\n\nall authority and responsibility with respect to the particular\n\nmatter before the Commission as if the person were a regular\n\ncommissioner of the Commission but shall have no authority or\n\nresponsibility with respect to any other matter before the\n\nCommission. A person appointed as a special commissioner of the\n\nCommission under the provisions of this subsection shall be entitled\n\nto receive a per diem equal to the annual salary of the\n\ncommissioners prorated for the number of days he or she serves in\n\nthe capacity of a special commissioner of the Commission.\n\nFurthermore, when a vacancy on the Commission occurs or is certain\n\nto occur, the position shall be filled pursuant to the provisions of\n\nthis section.","path":["OK Code","Title 85A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os85A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"4186f40948e8eb9f38f18693caeed714f24a8d240b5464ca92a819e0efea93c0","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-18","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-2"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}