94-30
Posted on Dec 30, 1994 in Formal OpinionsOpinion Letter No. 94-30
December 30, 1994
Director’s Workers’ Compensation Decisions Public
Under the UIPA, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) must make available for public inspection and copying a workers’ compensation decision upon request. A workers’ compensation decision sets forth the findings of fact, decision, and order of the DLIR Director concerning the compensability of a workers’ compensation claim after the DLIR has conducted a hearing on the matter.
The UIPA expressly requires agencies to disclose upon request “final opinions” and “orders” made in the adjudication of cases “any provision to the contrary notwithstanding.” The OIP found that a DLIR Director’s workers’ compensation decision was a final opinion and order in an adjudication, and, thus, must be made public in its entirety at the end of the time period for reopening the case, which is twenty days after the decision’s issuance.