Mr. Magaril said the legislation last June addressed immediate problems concerning the insolvency of many trusts, and tightened the regulation of the trusts. The task force to which he was appointed, he added, will look more at long-term problems and long-term solutions concerning the regulation of group self-insured trusts.

Mr. Magaril said he was chosen for the task force because of his background in New York workers' compensation. Before joining PCI, Mr. Magaril said he was legislative counsel for the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the New York comp insurer of last resort.

He said in 1998, as regulations governing group self-insured trusts were developed, he was among those who were "doing the most kicking and screaming" because he did not think the regulations proposed by the Workers' Compensation Board were sufficient.

Mr. Magaril said it will likely take a "good number of months" for the task force to analyze the issue and develop recommendations. He noted the recommendations are already almost two months overdue, even though the task force has only just been formed and has not yet had a meeting.

According to the legislation, the task force was to issue recommendations for reform by Feb. 1, 2009.

The task force's 11 members, according to the Workers' Compensation Board, and includes representatives from the Board, the state Insurance Department, the state Department of Labor, the New York State AFL-CIO, the Business Council of New York State, and Con Edison Company of New York, Inc.