The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC) and the Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) will be 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, will serve as the director of the new division. The reorganization includes 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 newly created DFELHWC will continue to handle the tangential claims brought under the Defense Base Act and War Hazards Compensation Act.