SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5276
As Passed Senate, March 10, 2001
Title: An act relating to revising apprenticeship law to respond to a 1999 United States department of labor audit.
Brief Description: Revising apprenticeship law to respond to a 1999 United States department of labor audit.
Sponsors: Senators Prentice, Winsley, T. Sheldon, West, Gardner, Hale, Costa, Carlson and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and Department of Labor & Industries.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions: 1/29/01 [DP].
Passed Senate: 3/10/01, 49-0.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Deccio, Fairley, Franklin, Honeyford, Patterson, Rasmussen, Regala, West and Winsley.
Staff: Jack Brummel (786‑7428)
Background: Washington has operated a state apprenticeship system since 1941, in compliance with the National Apprenticeship Law of 1937. Federal regulations adopted in 1978 required all states wishing to be recognized for federal apprenticeship purposes to comply with federal standards. Federal recognition of Washington=s apprenticeship system allows apprentices trained in Washington to have their certification honored in any of the 50 states. The U.S. Department of Labor notified the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council in 1999 of conflicts between Washington apprenticeship law and federal regulations in a number of areas.
Summary of Bill: The Apprenticeship Council must approve apprenticeship programs and establish apprenticeship standards. It must consider recommendations from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges regarding instruction and adopt the same or similar instructor qualifications as those used by the colleges.
Apprenticeship programs must be sponsored by either a joint labor/management apprenticeship committee or a unilateral apprenticeship committee. Apprenticeship committees must conform to state and federal requirements. Committees must have an equal number of employer and employee representatives, but the council may serve as the employee representative if there is no feasible method to choose such representatives.
Apprenticeship agreements must be in writing between an apprentice and the employer(s) or the apprenticeship committee.
Apprenticeship programs with five or more apprentices must strive to achieve a percentage of minority participation and female participation equivalent to the percentage of minorities and women in the labor force in the geographic area served by the program.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: None.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: No one.