H-3151.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2575
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Representatives Wood, J. Kohl, Ballasiotes, Kessler, Johanson, Forner, L. Johnson, Brough, Dyer, R. Fisher, Thibaudeau, Shin, Silver, Schmidt, Scott and Long
Read first time 01/17/94. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to creating an equity in dissolution task force; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter RCW to read as follows:
(1) The equity in dissolution task force is established for the purposes of developing strategies for analyzing the financial consequences on older women and men caused by the dissolution of long-term marriages, reducing the economic impacts of dissolution on the former spouses of such marriages, and ensuring equity in the distribution of assets in order to keep older people from becoming impoverished and dependent upon tax paid support and charitable organizations.
(2) The task force shall be composed of the following thirteen members: The governor or the governor's designee; the secretary of the department of social and health services or the secretary's designee; two representatives from each caucus of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; two representatives from each caucus of the senate to be appointed by the president of the senate; a representative from a major senior citizen's public policy organization; and two representatives from the general public. The task force shall select its chair from among the thirteen members. Staffing for the task force shall be provided by the office of financial management.
(3) The task force shall:
(a) Review the concerns, needs, and financial burdens of older people resulting from the dissolution of long-term marriages, including food, shelter, and heat and other utilities; clothing and personal care items; medical, dental, and vision care; transportation; income, property, and other taxes; entertainment and subscriptions; vacations, gifts, and pet care; miscellaneous household costs; and death expenses;
(b) Analyze the purposes and justifications for sharing future income, including delayed compensation for sacrifices in earning potential as a result of assuming a homemaker role in the marriage; lost opportunity costs on the basis of what could be earned in occupations forsaken to assume a homemaking, child rearing, and community building role; and partnership entitlements considering future earning capacities developed through the efforts of both spouses;
(c) Develop comprehensive policy guidelines and procedures for the implementation of distribution arrangements that ensure equitable shares that adequately meet the ongoing interests of both former spouses to a long-term marriage, including fair consideration of future bonuses; retirement benefits; disability payments; social security benefits; cost-of-living increases; and other future income;
(d) Create a spousal support guide and worksheet similar to the current child support schedule and child support order summary report form;
(e) Research efforts made by other states to ensure appropriate and adequate care is taken to address the needs of older people after a long-term marriage is dissolved; and
(f) Report its final findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than December 15, 1994, including any legislation the task force finds necessary for the implementation of the findings and recommendations.
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