77 Pa. Stat. § 701

Current through P.A. Acts 2023-32
Section 701 - Definitions

The term "referee," when used in this act, shall mean a Workers' Compensation Judge of the Department of Labor and Industry, appointed by and subject to the general supervision of the Secretary of Labor and Industry for the purpose of conducting departmental hearings under this act. The secretary may establish different classes of these judges. Any reference in any statute to a workmen's compensation referee shall be deemed to be a reference to a workers' compensation judge.

The term "board," when used in this article, shall mean the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board, a departmental administrative board as provided in sections 202, 207, 503 and 2208 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929," exercising its powers and performing its duties as an appellate board independently of the Secretary of Labor and Industry and any other official of the department.

The term "fund," when used in this article, shall mean the State Workmen's Insurance Fund of this Commonwealth, the State-operated insurance carrier from which workmen's compensation insurance policies may be purchased by employers to cover all risks of liability under this act including those declined by private carriers.

The terms "insurer" and "carrier," when used in this article, shall mean the State Workmen's Insurance Fund or other insurance carrier which has insured the employer's liability under this act, or the employer in cases of self-insurance.

The term "employer," when used in this article, shall mean the employer as defined in article one of this act, or his duly authorized agent, or his insurer if such insurer has assumed the employer's liability or the fund if the employer be insured therein.

The term "resolution hearing," when used in this article, shall mean a procedure established by the Office of Adjudication with the sole purpose of providing a venue to present a compromise and release to a workers' compensation judge in an expedited fashion.

The term "mediation," when used in this article, shall mean a conference conducted by a workers' compensation judge, but not necessarily the judge assigned to the actual case involving the parties, and shall require the attendance in person or by teleconference of all parties, including the claimant and employer, and their respective counsel, if any. All parties shall have requisite authority to accept, modify or reject settlement proposals offered at a mediation, either at the mediation or within a reasonable time period after the mediation as established by the workers' compensation judge.

77 P.S. § 701

1915, June 2, P.L. 736, art. IV, § 401. Amended 1919, June 26, P.L. 642, § 6. Reenacted 1937, June 4, P.L. 1552, § 1; 1939, June 21, P.L. 520, § 1. Amended 1972, Feb. 8, P.L. 25, No. 12, § 3; 1993 , July 2, P.L. 190, No. 44, § 14, effective in 60 days; 1996, June 24, P.L. 350, No. 57, § 12, effective in 60 days; 2006, Nov. 9, P.L. 1362, No. 147, §2, effective in 60 days [ 1/8/2007].