Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) The following
words and terms, when used in this rule, shall have the following meanings,
unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms not defined in this rule
shall have the meaning defined in the Texas Labor Code, if so defined.
(1) Certificate of coverage (certificate)--A
copy of a certificate of insurance, a certificate of authority to self-insure
issued by the division, or a workers' compensation coverage agreement (DWC
Form-81, DWC Form-82, DWC Form-83, or DWC Form-84), showing statutory workers'
compensation insurance coverage for the person's or entity's employees
(including those subject to a coverage agreement) providing services on a
project, for the duration of the project.
(2) Building or construction--Has the meaning
defined in the Texas Labor Code, §
406.096(e)(1).
(3) Contractor--A person bidding for or
awarded a building or construction project by a governmental entity.
(4) Coverage--Workers' compensation insurance
meeting the statutory requirements of the Texas Labor Code, §
401.011(44).
(5) Coverage agreement--A written agreement
on DWC Form-81, DWC Form-82, DWC Form-83, or DWC Form-84, filed with the
Division of Workers' Compensation which establishes a relationship between the
parties for purposes of the Texas Workers' Compensation Act, pursuant to the
Texas Labor Code, Chapter 406, Subchapters F and G, as one of employer/employee
and establishes who will be responsible for providing workers' compensation
coverage for persons providing services on the project.
(6) Duration of the project--Includes the
time from the beginning of work on the project until the work on the project
has been completed and accepted by the governmental entity.
(7) Persons providing services on the project
("subcontractor" in §406.096 of the Act)--With the exception of persons
excluded under subsections (h) and (i) of this section, includes all persons or
entities performing all or part of the services the contractor has undertaken
to perform on the project, regardless of whether that person contracted
directly with the contractor and regardless of whether that person has
employees. This includes but is not limited to independent contractors,
subcontractors, leasing companies, motor carriers, owner-operators, employees
of any such entity, or employees of any entity furnishing persons to perform
services on the project. "Services" includes but is not limited to providing,
hauling, or delivering equipment or materials, or providing labor,
transportation, or other service related to a project. "Services" does not
include activities unrelated to the project, such as food/beverage vendors,
office supply deliveries, and delivery of portable toilets.
(8) Project--Includes the provision of all
services related to a building or construction contract for a governmental
entity.
(b) Providing or
causing to be provided a certificate of coverage pursuant to this rule is a
representation by the insured that all employees of the insured who are
providing services on the project are covered by workers' compensation
coverage, that the coverage is based on proper reporting of classification
codes and payroll amounts, and that all coverage agreements have been filed
with the appropriate insurance carrier or, in the case of a self-insured, with
the division. Providing false or misleading certificates of coverage, or
failing to provide or maintain required coverage, or failing to report any
change that materially affects the provision of coverage may subject the
contractor or other person providing services on the project to administrative
penalties, criminal penalties, civil penalties, or other civil
actions.
(c) A governmental entity
that enters into a building or construction contract on a project shall:
(1) include in the bid specifications, all
the provisions of paragraph (7) of this subsection, using the language required
by paragraph (7) of this subsection;
(2) as part of the contract, using the
language required by paragraph (7) of this subsection, require the contractor
to perform as required in subsection (d) of this section;
(3) obtain from the contractor a certificate
of coverage for each person providing services on the project, prior to that
person beginning work on the project;
(4) obtain from the contractor a new
certificate of coverage showing extension of coverage:
(A) before the end of the current coverage
period, if the contractor's current certificate of coverage shows that the
coverage period ends during the duration of the project; and
(B) no later than seven days after the
expiration of the coverage for each other person providing services on the
project whose current certificate shows that the coverage period ends during
the duration of the project;
(5) retain certificates of coverage on file
for the duration of the project and for three years thereafter;
(6) provide a copy of the certificates of
coverage to the division upon request and to any person entitled to them by
law; and
(7) use the language
contained in the following figure for bid specifications and contracts, without
any additional words or changes, except those required to accommodate the
specific document in which they are contained or to impose stricter standards
of documentation:
Attached Graphic
(d) A contractor shall:
(1) provide coverage for its employees
providing services on a project, for the duration of the project based on
proper reporting of classification codes and payroll amounts and filing of any
coverage agreements;
(2) provide a
certificate of coverage showing workers' compensation coverage to the
governmental entity prior to beginning work on the project;
(3) provide the governmental entity, prior to
the end of the coverage period, a new certificate of coverage showing extension
of coverage, if the coverage period shown on the contractor's current
certificate of coverage ends during the duration of the project;
(4) obtain from each person providing
services on a project, and provide to the governmental entity:
(A) a certificate of coverage, prior to that
person beginning work on the project, so the governmental entity will have on
file certificates of coverage showing coverage for all persons providing
services on the project; and
(B) no
later than seven days after receipt by the contractor, a new certificate of
coverage showing extension of coverage, if the coverage period shown on the
current certificate of coverage ends during the duration of the
project;
(5) retain all
required certificates of coverage on file for the duration of the project and
for one year thereafter;
(6) notify
the governmental entity in writing by certified mail or personal delivery,
within ten days after the contractor knew or should have known, of any change
that materially affects the provision of coverage of any person providing
services on the project;
(7) post a
notice on each project site informing all persons providing services on the
project that they are required to be covered, and stating how a person may
verify current coverage and report failure to provide coverage. This notice
does not satisfy other posting requirements imposed by the Act or other
division rules. This notice must be printed with a title in at least 30 point
bold type and text in at least 19 point normal type, and shall be in both
English and Spanish and any other language common to the worker population. The
text for the notices shall be the following text provided by the division on
the sample notice, without any additional words or changes:
Attached Graphic
(8) contractually require each
person with whom it contracts to provide services on a project to:
(A) provide coverage based on proper
reporting of classification codes and payroll amounts and filing of any
coverage agreements for all of its employees providing services on the project,
for the duration of the project;
(B) provide a certificate of coverage to the
contractor prior to that person beginning work on the project;
(C) include in all contracts to provide
services on the project the language in subsection (e)(3) of this
section;
(D) provide the
contractor, prior to the end of the coverage period, a new certificate of
coverage showing extension of coverage, if the coverage period shown on the
current certificate of coverage ends during the duration of the
project;
(E) obtain from each other
person with whom it contracts, and provide to the contractor:
(i) a certificate of coverage, prior to the
other person beginning work on the project; and
(ii) prior to the end of the coverage period,
a new certificate of coverage showing extension of the coverage period, if the
coverage period shown on the current certificate of coverage ends during the
duration of the project;
(F) retain all required certificates of
coverage on file for the duration of the project and for one year
thereafter;
(G) notify the
governmental entity in writing by certified mail or personal delivery, within
ten days after the person knew or should have known, of any change that
materially affects the provision of coverage of any person providing services
on the project; and
(H)
contractually require each other person with whom it contracts, to perform as
required by subparagraphs (A)-(H) of this paragraph, with the certificate of
coverage to be provided to the person for whom they are providing
services.
(e)
A person providing services on a project, other than a contractor, shall:
(1) provide coverage for its employees
providing services on a project, for the duration of the project based on
proper reporting of classification codes and payroll amounts and filing of any
coverage agreements;
(2) provide a
certificate of coverage as required by its contract to provide services on the
project, prior to beginning work on the project;
(3) have the following language in its
contract to provide services on the project: "By signing this contract or
providing or causing to be provided a certificate of coverage, the person
signing this contract is representing to the governmental entity that all
employees of the person signing this contract who will provide services on the
project will be covered by workers' compensation coverage for the duration of
the project, that the coverage will be based on proper reporting of
classification codes and payroll amounts, and that all coverage agreements will
be filed with the appropriate insurance carrier or, in the case of a
self-insured, with the division. Providing false or misleading information may
subject the contractor to administrative penalties, criminal penalties, civil
penalties, or other civil actions."
(4) provide the person for whom it is
providing services on the project, prior to the end of the coverage period
shown on its current certificate of coverage, a new certificate showing
extension of coverage, if the coverage period shown on the certificate of
coverage ends during the duration of the project;
(5) obtain from each person providing
services on a project under contract to it, and provide as required by its
contract:
(A) a certificate of coverage, prior
to the other person beginning work on the project; and
(B) prior to the end of the coverage period,
a new certificate of coverage showing extension of the coverage period, if the
coverage period shown on the current certificate of coverage ends during the
duration of the project;
(6) retain all required certificates of
coverage on file for the duration of the project and for one year
thereafter;
(7) notify the
governmental entity in writing by certified mail or personal delivery, of any
change that materially affects the provision of coverage of any person
providing services on the project and send the notice within ten days after the
person knew or should have known of the change; and
(8) contractually require each other person
with whom it contracts to:
(A) provide
coverage based on proper reporting of classification codes and payroll amounts
and filing of any coverage agreements for all of its employees providing
services on the project, for the duration of the project;
(B) provide a certificate of coverage to it
prior to that other person beginning work on the project;
(C) include in all contracts to provide
services on the project the language in paragraph (3) of this
subsection;
(D) provide, prior to
the end of the coverage period, a new certificate of coverage showing extension
of the coverage period, if the coverage period shown on the current certificate
of coverage ends during the duration of the project;
(E) obtain from each other person under
contract to it to provide services on the project, and provide as required by
its contract:
(i) a certificate of coverage,
prior to the other person beginning work on the project; and
(ii) prior to the end of the coverage period,
a new certificate of coverage showing extension of the coverage period, if the
coverage period shown on the current certificate of coverage ends during the
duration of the contract;
(F) retain all required certificates of
coverage on file for the duration of the project and for one year
thereafter;
(G) notify the
governmental entity in writing by certified mail or personal delivery, within
ten days after the person knew or should have known, of any change that
materially affects the provision of coverage of any person providing services
on the project; and
(H)
contractually require each person with whom it contracts, to perform as
required by this subparagraph and subparagraphs (A)-(G) of this paragraph, with
the certificate of coverage to be provided to the person for whom they are
providing services.
(f) If any provision of this rule or its
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does
not affect other provisions or applications of this rule that can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the
provisions of this rule are declared to be severable.
(g) This rule is applicable for building or
construction contracts advertised for bid by a governmental entity on or after
September 1, 1994. This rule is also applicable for those building or
construction contracts entered into on or after September 1, 1994, which are
not required by law to be advertised for bid.
(h) The coverage requirement in this rule
does not apply to motor carriers who are required pursuant to Texas Civil
Statutes, Article 6675c, to register with the Texas Department of
Transportation and who provide accidental insurance coverage pursuant to Texas
Civil Statutes, Article 6675c, §4(j).
(i) The coverage requirement in this rule
does not apply to sole proprietors, partners, and corporate officers who meet
the requirements of the Act, §406.097(c), and who are explicitly excluded
from coverage in accordance with the Act, §406.097(a) (as added by House
Bill 1089, 74th Legislature, 1995, §1.20). This subsection applies only to
sole proprietors, partners, and corporate executive officers who are excluded
from coverage in an insurance policy or certificate of authority to self-insure
that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1,
1996.