S-3633.2
SENATE BILL 6128
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By Senator Braun
AN ACT Relating to facilitating the use of a department of labor and industries-approved, application-based, third-party recording platform to record independent medical exams; reenacting and amending RCW 51.36.070 ; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 51.36.070 and 2023 c 171 s 12 and 2023 c 166 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1)(a) Whenever the department or the self-insurer deems it necessary in order to (i) make a decision regarding claim allowance or reopening, (ii) resolve a new medical issue, an appeal, or case progress, or (iii) evaluate the worker's permanent disability or work restriction, a worker shall submit to examination by a physician or physicians selected by the department, with the rendition of a report to the person ordering the examination, the attending provider, and the injured worker.
(b) The examination must be at a place reasonably convenient to the injured worker, or alternatively utilize telemedicine if the department determines telemedicine is appropriate for the examination. For purposes of this subsection, "reasonably convenient" means at a place where residents in the injured worker's community would normally travel to seek medical care for the same specialty as the examiner. The department must address in rule how to accommodate the injured worker if no approved medical examiner in the specialty needed is available in that community.