(a) The workers’ compensation referee or appeals board may order a party, the party’s attorney, or both, to pay any reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees and costs, incurred by another party as a result of bad-faith actions or tactics that are frivolous or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay. In addition, a workers’ compensation referee or the appeals board, in its sole discretion, may order additional sanctions not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) to be transmitted to the General Fund.
(b) The determination of sanctions shall be made after written application by the party seeking sanctions or upon the appeal board’s own motion.
(c) This section shall apply to all applications for adjudication that are filed on or after January 1, 1994.