Concerning access to medical care in workers' compensation.

Added a specific definition for 'coercion' to include threats, retaliation, or improper pressure, strengthening protections against employer intimidation.

Reorganized the text regarding employer duties to inform workers about their right to choose providers, separating the notification requirement from the prohibition on coercion for better readability.

Removed redundant phrasing such as 'be required to' and 'be expected to' to streamline the language regarding provider guidelines.

The bill's reading date was updated from February 2, 2026, to February 9, 2026.

The committee handling the bill changed from Senate Labor & Commerce to Senate Ways & Means.

Penalties for state-insured employers forcing workers to see specific providers were increased to include fines of $250-$2,500 per violation and the possibility of banning the employer from future retrospective rating programs.

The language regarding employer coercion was strengthened by changing 'requiring or inducing' to 'requiring or coercing'.

The bill's internal section numbering was reorganized, shifting the effective date and expiration clauses to new section numbers.

Expanded the distance workers can travel to find a network provider from 15 miles to 30 miles for those living in counties with fewer than 500,000 people, and extended the time to find a provider from 7 to 10 days.

Clarified that employers must inform injured workers they can seek initial or emergency treatment from a provider of their choice, and that further treatment must be sought within the provider network.

Added a new requirement authorizing the Department of Labor and Industries to hire additional claims managers to achieve a national average case load of 141 claims per manager.

Modified the rules for continuing medical treatment for permanent partial disability to require a request for approval within 120 days of receiving treatment and a written order from the supervisor of industrial insurance.

Removed the specific requirement that the department send a declaration to workers within seven days if a network provider cannot be found, replacing it with a process where the department or employer assists the worker in finding a provider within 10 days.

Changed the expiration date for the provider network expansion provisions from June 30, 2027, to January 1, 2028, and adjusted the effective dates for new sections to January 1, 2028.