Subdivision 1. Purpose; duties. (a) It is the legislative purpose in creating a Division of Workers' Compensation, and in assigning to the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry specific duties and responsibilities, to:

(1) provide for a unified Department of Labor and Industry for the limited purposes of organization and administration of common administrative functions; and

(2) assure the autonomy and maximum independence of the necessary adjudicative functions and quasi-legislative administrative duties of the division.

(b) The commissioner as head of the Workers' Compensation Division is the administrator of the Workers' Compensation Division. The commissioner shall possess only the powers and shall perform only the duties prescribed by law.

Subd. 2. Records. The commissioner shall keep a full and true record of all proceedings of the Workers' Compensation Division, issue all necessary processes, writs, warrants, and notices which the division is required or authorized to issue and generally act as the administrator of the Division of Workers' Compensation in the Department of Labor and Industry. Notices and other documents required to be served or filed on the Division of Workers' Compensation shall be served on the commissioner.

Subd. 3. [Repealed, 1983 c 290 s 173]

Subd. 4. Chief judge; designation. The commissioner may designate a workers' compensation judge at the Department of Labor and Industry to serve as chief workers' compensation judge. The commissioner may revoke the designation at any time. A revocation does not affect the revoked designee's status as a workers' compensation judge.

History: 1973 c 388 s 7; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1975 c 359 s 23; 1976 c 134 s 78; 1983 c 290 s 23,24; 1987 c 332 s 4; 1988 c 667 s 23; 1998 c 366 s 89