SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6235

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background: In 2008 the Legislature established the green Economy Jobs Growth Initiative with a goal of increasing the number of clean energy jobs in the state to 25,000 by 2020. Specific actions related to the green economy were to be carried out by a number of state agencies.

In 2009 the Legislature established the Evergreen Jobs Initiative with a goal of creating 15,000 new green economy jobs by 2020 and other goals related to employment, job training, investment, and exports. Specific actions were to be carried out by a number of state agencies.

The Employment Security Department’s 2009 report, Washington State Green Economy Jobs, showed an estimated 47,000 in total direct, private sector green economy employment. Green jobs were reported in 27 industry classifications, including four related to the forest products industry: agriculture and forestry support activities, forestry and logging, wood products manufacturing, and paper manufacturing. The forest products industry as a whole has not been classified as a green industry.

Summary of Bill: The Department of Commerce, and other agencies when relevant, must consider the forest products industry to be a green industry and must interpret forest products industry as including those businesses that grow, manage, harvest, transport, and process forest, wood, and paper products. Agencies with responsibilities under the 2008 and 2009 initiatives must take actions that are consistent with these requirements. For representation on pilot green industry skills panels, industry sectors related to clean energy include energy from wood biomass, liquid biofuels, or bio-based products.

All written reports or formal publications of state agency environmental or economic analyses and studies must consider the forest products industry to be a green industry, when relevant and not specifically exempt. The industry must be included in any category of industries identified by their positive contributions to the state’s environmental protection, ecological enhancement, clean energy future, or carbon reduction strategies. When an agency excludes the industry from such a category in a relevant study, the report must contain a rationale for the exclusion.