Labor Department Holding Hearing on SIF Payments, Electronic Signature Rules

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry is holding a hearing in August to discuss its plans to adopt rules addressing payments to the Subsequent Injury Fund, and the situations in which an electronic signature is acceptable. The department said the SIF rules are needed to ensure that the fund is properly financed so it can pay benefits on claims “without shorting other SIF claims which may arise during the SIF’s fiscal year.” By statute, the fund receives an annual appropriation and there is no mechanism to “claim payments as due if there is a shortfall,” a...