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HB 299 · 2025 · House · Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee

Attorney fees in workers' comp claims

AI-generated

relative to the award of attorneys' fees and costs in workers' compensation claims.

Entitles a claimant who prevails at the department level in a workers' compensation dispute to an award of reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the House — Inexpedient to Legislate · February 20, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✕House
  3. Senate
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill provides that when a claimant in a workers' compensation dispute prevails at the department level, the claimant shall be entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as introduced. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“No attorney representing a claimant shall contract for, charge for, or collect a fee for legal service rendered to the claimant at the department level unless the fee has been approved by the commissioner.”
Section 1
“If a claimant prevails at the department level, the claimant shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable counsel fees and costs as approved by the commissioner.”
Section 1
“In determining the amount of the allowable fee, the commissioner shall consider, among other things, the nature, length and complexity of the service performed, the usual and customary charge for work of the like kind and the benefit accruing to the claimant as a result of the legal service performed[; provided, however, that].”
Section 1
“In the event that the medical bill is voluntarily accepted less than 7 business days prior to the date of the scheduled hearing, the claimant shall be entitled to reasonable counsel fees and costs as approved by the commissioner unless the carrier can prove a justifiable reason for the delay in accepting the bill.”
Section 1

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Rep. Stephen PearsonRPrime
  • Sen. Suzanne PrentissDAssistant Democratic Leader

Also: Rep. Mike BordesR

Public testimony

51 signed in online · 2 wrote testimony

94% support6% oppose0% neutral

In their wordsVerbatim, exactly as submitted

“Seems as thought this number is dated and should be adjusted to keep up with the times.”
— Jed Carpentier, Hamptonsupports

Verbatim excerpts of submitted testimony, quoted from the testimony tool.

Read the testimony · as of Aug 12, 2026

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Feb 4, 2025HouseCommittee report· regular calendar: Inexpedient to Legislate11–9
    Overall
    55% yea
  • Feb 20, 2025HouseDivisionInexpedient to LegislateAdopted193–177
    Overall
    52% yea

Hearings and debates

  • Jan 28, 2025Public hearingHouse Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services3:13:20–3:19:296m 9slocated in the stream transcriptPublic Hearing
  • Feb 4, 2025Public hearingHouse Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services27:04–28:291m 25slocated in the stream transcriptMajority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate — roll call; Executive Session
  • Feb 20, 2025Floor debateHouse floor4:39:02–4:48:199m 17slocated in the stream transcriptInexpedient to Legislate — adopted, division 193-177

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 8, 2025HouseIntroduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services HJ 2 P. 14
  2. Jan 28, 2025HousePublic Hearing: 01/28/2025 01:00 pm LOB 307
  3. Feb 4, 2025HouseExecutive Session: 02/04/2025 10:00 am LOB 210-211
  4. Feb 4, 2025HouseMajority : Inexpedient to Legislate 02/04/2025 (Vote 11-9; RC) HC 12 P. 19
  5. Feb 5, 2025HouseMinority : Ought to Pass
  6. Feb 20, 2025HouseInexpedient to Legislate: MA DV 193-177 02/20/2025 HJ 6 P. 51

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Documents (PDF)

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.