(a) Any employee who has suffered a compensable injury under the provisions of this chapter, and who is receiving benefits for such injury from the Second Injury Fund pursuant to the provisions of section 31-349, may file a written request with the commissioner in the district where the original claim was filed for a hearing to determine whether the employee's injury constitutes a permanent vocational disability. The hearing shall be held within sixty days of the date the request was filed. Upon the request of the commissioner and prior to the conclusion of such hearing, the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services shall, after receiving such information on the case which the commissioner deems necessary, submit written recommendations concerning the case to the commissioner for his consideration. The commissioner shall issue his decision, in writing, within ten days after the conclusion of the hearing. If the commissioner determines that the employee's injury is a permanent vocational disability, the employee shall be issued a certificate of disability by the commissioner. Such certificate shall be effective for a stated period of time of from one to five years, as determined by the commissioner. The decision of the commissioner may be appealed in accordance with the provisions of section 31-301.

(b) (1) Whenever any individual who has been issued a certificate of disability, pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, is thereafter employed, the employer, upon written application and presentation of sufficient proof to the State Treasurer, shall be reimbursed from the Second Injury Fund for any workers' compensation insurance premiums paid by the employer which are attributable to such individual's employment during the effective period of such certificate. (2) Whenever any such certified individual is hired by an employer to whom a certificate of self-insurance has been issued pursuant to section 31-284, the employer, upon written application and presentation of sufficient proof to the State Treasurer, shall be reimbursed from the Second Injury Fund at the rate of two per cent of the gross wages paid to the individual for work performed during the effective period of his certificate. No employer may make more than one such application related to a certified employee within a twelve-month period.

(c) Upon the expiration of any certificate of disability or of an extension of such certificate, the person to whom such certificate was issued may file a written request with the commissioner for an extension of the effective period of such certificate. The determination as to whether such an extension should be granted shall be made by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, provided such extension shall be effective for a stated period of time of from one to five years.

(P.A. 86-33; P.A. 91-207, S. 7, 9; P.A. 95-277, S. 10, 19; P.A. 11-44, S. 50; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 88.)

History: P.A. 91-207 made technical changes re name of fund; P.A. 95-277 in Subsec. (a) eliminated the reference to “section 31-325”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Division of Workers' Rehabilitation within the Workers' Compensation Commission” with “Bureau of Rehabilitative Services”, effective July 1, 2011; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “director of the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services” with “Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services”, effective July 1, 2012.