The United States Department of Labor recently announced that the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC) and the Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) were consolidated under the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs to form the Division of Federal Employees’, Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DFELHWC).
Director Antonio A. Rios, currently director of DFEC and former director of DLHWC (2013-2016 and as Acting Director since January 2020), serves as the director of the new division. According to an email of Mr. Rios, the reorganization includes the integration of administrative resources and infrastructure, including IT systems that will allow the new division to seamlessly handle overlapping jurisdiction in claims such as those brought under the War Hazards Compensation Act. Separate entities within the new DFELHWC will continue to handle the claims brought under the Defense Base Act and War Hazards Compensation Act.
This article will be updated as more information is discovered. For more information about the Defense Base Act, contact DBA lawyer, Tim Nies, at defensebaseactlawyers.com or 772-283-8712 day or night.