SB 5723.E2 - DIGEST
(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 2/14/2008)

Finds that agricultural workers are challenged not only in finding full-time, year-round work, but also face difficulties in upgrading their agricultural skills. The legislature also finds that the agricultural industry's demand for skilled workers far outnumbers the current supply. In addition, the legislature finds that despite recent advances in the safety of agricultural production, additional training of agricultural workers should assist the agricultural sector in ongoing efforts to reduce occupational injuries.

Provides that, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer the community agricultural worker safety grant program, to be implemented by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit opportunities industrialization center of Washington. As grant recipient, the center shall work with the agricultural industry to provide practical, hands-on training for the state's agricultural workers in tractor and farm machinery skills and safety, pesticide training, adult basic skills, civics, English as a second language, commercial drivers' licensing, and other related topics. The grant recipient may receive up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars per year.