2015 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 85A. Administrative Workers' Compensation System
§85A-40. Failure to secure compensation - Summary hearing - Penalties.

A. 1. Any employer who fails to secure compensation required under this act, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to be deposited in the Workers' Compensation Fund.

2. This subsection shall not affect any other liability of the employer under this act.

B. 1. Whenever the Commission has reason to believe that any employer required to secure the payment of compensation under this act has failed to do so, the Commission shall serve on the employer a proposed judgment declaring the employer to be in violation of this act and containing the amount, if any, of the civil penalty to be assessed against the employer under paragraph 5 of this subsection.

2.a.An employer may contest a proposed judgment of the Commission issued under paragraph 1 of this subsection by filing with the Commission, within twenty (20) days of receipt of the proposed judgment, a written request for a hearing.

b.The request for a hearing does not need to be in any particular form but shall specify the grounds on which the person contests the proposed judgment, the proposed assessment, or both.

c.If a written request for hearing is not filed with the Commission within the time specified in subparagraph a of this paragraph, the proposed judgment, the proposed penalty, or both, shall be a final judgment of the Commission and shall not be subject to further review by any court, except if the employer shows good cause why it did not timely contest the judgment or penalty.

d.A proposed judgment by the Commission under this section shall be prima facie correct, and the burden is on the employer to prove that the proposed judgment is incorrect.

3.a.If the employer alleges that a carrier has contracted to provide it workers' compensation insurance coverage for the period in question, the employer shall include the allegation in its request for hearing and shall name the carrier.

b.The Commission shall promptly notify the carrier of the employer's allegation and of the date of hearing.

c.The carrier shall promptly, and no later than five (5) days before the hearing, respond in writing to the employer's allegation by providing evidence of coverage for the period in question or by affirmatively denying the employer's allegation.

4. Hearings under this section shall be procedurally conducted as provided in Sections 69 through 78 of this act.

5. The Commission may assess a fine against an employer who fails to secure the payment of compensation in an amount up to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per day of violation payable to the Workers' Compensation Fund.

6. If an employer fails to secure the payment of compensation or pay any civil penalty assessed against the employer after a judgment issued under this section has become final by operation of law or on appeal, the Commission may petition the Oklahoma County District Court or the district court of the county where the employer's principal place of business is located for an order enjoining the employer from engaging in further employment until such time as the employer secures the payment of compensation or makes full payment of all civil penalties.

Added by Laws 2013, c. 208, § 40, eff. Feb. 1, 2014.