1. The Chief of the Hearings Division shall adopt regulations establishing:

(a) A code of conduct for hearing officers who conduct hearings in contested cases for compensation under chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS; and

(b) A code of conduct for appeals officers who conduct hearings and appeals as required pursuant to chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS.

2. The codes of conduct established pursuant to subsection 1 must be designed to ensure fairness and impartiality, and to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

3. The Chief of the Hearings Division shall adopt regulations establishing:

(a) Standards for the initial training and continuing education of hearing officers who conduct hearings in contested cases for compensation under chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS; and

(b) Standards for the initial training and continuing education of appeals officers who conduct hearings and appeals as required pursuant to chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS.

4. The standards established pursuant to subsection 3 must, without limitation, include training and continuing education in:

(a) The provisions of chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS;

(b) Dispute resolution; and

(c) Mediation.

5. The Chief of the Hearings Division shall:

(a) Prescribe by regulation the qualifications required before a person may, pursuant to chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS, serve as a hearing officer.

(b) Provide for the expediting of the hearing of cases that involve the termination or denial of compensation.

6. From the cases heard each year by hearing officers and appeals officers regarding claims for benefits by injured employees, the Chief of the Hearings Division shall prepare an annual report which itemizes, on the basis of each insurer and third-party administrator, the number of cases affirmed, reversed, remanded and resolved by other disposition involving that insurer or third-party administrator, including a breakdown of that information by the type of benefits denied by the insurer or third-party administrator.

7. As used in this section, “Chief of the Hearings Division” means the Chief of the Hearings Division of the Department of Administration.

(Added to NRS by 1991, 2396; A 2005, 101; 2007, 3350)