Opinion ID: 1916938
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Workers' Compensation Act of 1979

Text: On May 6, 1980, the District of Columbia Council passed the Workers' Compensation Act of 1979. Following the approval of Mayor Marion S. Barry, Jr., this legislation was forwarded to Congress on May 15, 1980, for the 30-day review period required by D.C.Code 1981, § 1-233(c)(1). On July 1, 1980, in the absence of congressional disapproval, the Workers' Compensation Act officially became law. See 27 D.C.Reg. 2974 (1980). Pursuant to § 47 of the Act, it was scheduled to take effect on October 1, 1981. The Workers' Compensation Act provides an administrative scheme for compensation claims in the private sector of employment. See generally 27 D.C.Reg. 2503 (1980). It provides compensation for work-related injuries or death to employees of private businesses principally located in the District of Columbia. D.C.Code 1981, § 36-303. Any party in interest adversely affected by a compensation award entered by the Mayor may petition for review to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Id., § 36-322(b)(3). If an employer fails to comply with a compensation order, the beneficiary of the award or the Mayor may seek its enforcement in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Id., § 36-322(c). Section 46 of the Act repeals the existing workmen's compensation law, enacted by Congress in 1928 to cover private employees in the District of Columbia.