{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-22","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 85A, § 85A-22","heading":"Administration of act - Additional powers and duties","body":"\n\nA. 1. For the purpose of administering the provisions of this\n\ntitle, the Workers' Compensation Commission is authorized:\n\na. to make rules necessary for the administration and\n\noperation of the Commission,\n\nb. to appoint and fix the compensation of temporary\n\ntechnical assistants, medical and legal advisers,\n\nclerical assistants and other officers and employees,\n\nand\n\nc. to make such expenditures, including those for\n\npersonal service, rent, books, periodicals, office\n\nequipment, and supplies, and for printing and binding\n\nas may be necessary.\n\n2. a. The Commission shall vote on any substantive change to\n\nany form and the effective date of such substantive\n\nchange.\n\nb. The Commission shall comply with the provisions of the\n\nAdministrative Procedures Act applicable to the filing\n\nand publication requirements for rules before the\n\nadoption, prescription, amendment, modification, or\n\nrepeal of any rule.\n\nB. 1. The Commission may appoint as many persons as may be\n\nnecessary to be administrative law judges and in addition may\n\nappoint such examiners, investigators, medical examiners, clerks,\n\nand other employees as it deems necessary to effectuate the\n\nprovisions of this title.\n\n2. Employees appointed under this subsection shall receive an\n\nannual salary to be fixed by the Commission.\n\nC. Additionally, the Commission shall have the following powers\n\nand duties:\n\n1. To hear and approve compromise settlements;\n\n2. To review and approve own-risk applications and group self-\n\ninsurance association applications;\n\n3. To monitor own-risk, self-insurer and group self-insurance\n\nprograms, in accordance with the rules of the Commission;\n\n4. To contract with an appropriate state governmental entity,\n\ninsurance carrier or approved service organization to process,\n\ninvestigate and pay valid claims against an impaired self-insurer\n\nwhich fails, due to insolvency or otherwise, to pay its workers'\n\ncompensation obligations, charges for which shall be paid from the\n\nproceeds of security posted with the Commission as provided in\n\nSection 38 of this title;\n\n5. To establish a toll-free telephone number in order to\n\nprovide information and answer questions about the Commission;\n\n6. To hear and determine claims concerning disputed medical\n\nbills;\n\n7. To promulgate necessary rules for administering this title\n\nand develop uniform forms and procedures for use by administrative\n\nlaw judges. Such rules shall be reviewable by the Legislature;\n\n8. To invest funds on behalf of the Multiple Injury Trust Fund;\n\n9. To appoint a Commission Mediator to conduct informal\n\nsessions to attempt to resolve assigned disputes;\n\n10. To establish a petty cash fund in an amount not to exceed\n\nFive Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to be used for the purpose of making\n\nchange for persons purchasing printed or electronic materials from\n\nthe Commission, paying fees and fines, and transacting other such\n\nbusiness with the Commission. The fund shall be established and\n\nreplenished from any monies available to the Commission for\n\noperating expenses and it shall be administered pursuant to the\n\nrequirements of Section 195 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes;\n\nand\n\n11. Such other duties and responsibilities authorized by law.\n\nD. Communications, whether in person, by electronic medium or\n\nin writing, that reflect the pre-decisional deliberations of the\n\nCommissioners among each other or with Commission staff, and which\n\noccur while exercising their quasi-judicial duties such as reviewing\n\ndecisions or awards made by the administrative law judges of the\n\nCommission pursuant to Section 78 of this title or reviewing\n\narbitration awards pursuant to Section 322 and Section 323 of this\n\ntitle, shall not be subject to requirements of the Oklahoma Open\n\nMeeting Act or Oklahoma Open Records Act, shall be confidential and\noccur while exercising their quasi-judicial duties such as reviewing\n\ndecisions or awards made by the administrative law judges of the\n\nCommission pursuant to Section 78 of this title or reviewing\n\narbitration awards pursuant to Section 322 and Section 323 of this\n\ntitle, shall not be subject to requirements of the Oklahoma Open\n\nMeeting Act or Oklahoma Open Records Act, shall be confidential and\n\nshall be considered protected deliberative communications.\n\nE. It shall be the duty of an administrative law judge, under\n\nthe rules adopted by the Commission, to hear and determine claims\n\nfor compensation and to conduct hearings and investigations and to\n\nmake such judgments, decisions, and determinations as may be\n\nrequired by any rule or judgment of the Commission.","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":"15cc1bd9c65fc099ae1fef65685243d1677edc313874fee87113a79c2bb1541c","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-21","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-85a-85a-23"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}