Workers compensation-attorneys' expenses and costs.

HB 269 modifies Wyoming's workers' compensation law to allow hearing examiners to reimburse appointed attorneys for reasonable expenses and costs (beyond just fees) in contested cases. It removes the previous restriction that limited attorney fees to "a reasonable number of hours not to exceed the benefits at issue" in the case. This change directly affects workers' attorneys who represent claimants in contested hearings, enabling them to recover full documented costs without the prior benefit-based cap. The bill requires a verified itemization of all services for reimbursement requests and maintains existing rules about denying fees for frivolous claims. The law takes effect July 1, 2023.