H-4198.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2917

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Representatives Thibaudeau, Cooke, Wolfe and Brown

Read first time 02/11/94.  Referred to Committee on Human Services.

Maximizing the number of residents who receive the federal earned income credit.

    AN ACT Relating to the federal earned income tax credit; adding a new section to chapter 43.41 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the federal earned income tax credit, and advance payment of such credit, provides an important opportunity for working poor and near-poor residents of Washington state to increase their ability to achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency by receiving a credit against federal income taxes owed or a refund.  The legislature further finds that congress has recently acted to increase the availability and amount of the earned income tax credit.  It is the intent of the legislature to maximize the number of working poor and near-poor residents of the state of Washington who take advantage of the opportunity to receive a federal earned income tax credit and advance payment of such credit.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The office of financial management shall coordinate an interagency effort to maximize the number of low-income employed residents of the state of Washington who take advantage of the opportunity to receive a federal earned income tax credit and advance payment of such credit.

    (2) In undertaking the interagency effort described in subsection (1) of this section, the office of financial management shall:

    (a) Involve state agencies that regularly interact with low-income employed residents of the state of Washington, including but not limited to:  The department of social and health services; the health care authority, through its basic health plan, caregiver's health plan, and state employee health benefits programs; the employment security department; the department of labor and industries; and the department of health.

    (b) Engage in a public education and outreach effort to increase awareness of the federal earned income tax credit and advance payment of the earned income tax credit by low-income employed residents through:  Inclusion of information explaining the earned income tax credit in routine correspondence with low-income employed residents;  placement of information explaining the earned income tax credit in local agency offices; partnerships with community-based organizations and local governments to distribute information explaining the earned income tax credit; and any other means deemed appropriate.

    (c) Engage in an effort to educate employers in Washington state regarding federal law related to advance payment of the earned income tax credit.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The sum of . . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund‑-state to the office of financial management for the purposes of implementing this act.

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