HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1727

BYRepresentatives Wang and R. King 

Providing for the collection of agricultural labor market information.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substitute therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (6)

      Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisher, Jones, R. King and Sayan.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (4)

      Signed by Representatives Patrick, Sanders, C. Smith and Walker.

House Staff:Chris Cordes (786-7117)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR FEBRUARY 3, 1988

BACKGROUND:

During the 1987 harvest seasons, both agricultural labor shortages and oversupply were experienced.  Several factors, including the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986, unusual weather, increased advertising activity, and lack of funding for agricultural labor market information, have been cited as reasons for the labor supply problems.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  An account is created in the administrative contingency fund of the Employment Security Department to fund agricultural labor market information collection from workers, growers, and other appropriate sources.  The Director of the Department of Agriculture will establish annual assessments for the fund, to be levied at a rate sufficient to raise $75,000 annually.  The assessments will be collected from the Washington Apple Advertising Commission, the Washington State Fruit Commission, and other agricultural commodity commissions or boards with responsibilities for agricultural commodities for which production of the commodity requires seasonal or migrant labor.  The assessment schedule will take into account the relative value and labor requirements of the commodity.

If any provision of the act is held invalid, the remainder of the act is not affected.

SUBSTITUTE COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The substitute bill adds language clarifying that the labor market information collected by the Employment Security Department will include information from workers, growers and other appropriate sources.  The appropriation clause is deleted.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 3, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Phil Kaplan, Poverty Law Advocates;  and Jeff Johnson, Washington State Labor Council.

(Neutral):  Graeme Sackrison, Employment Security Department.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Frank DeLong, Washington State Apple Advertising Commission and Washington State Horticultural Association.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Accurate agricultural labor market information is needed to help avoid both labor shortages and labor oversupply.

(Neutral):  Funding is needed for agricultural labor market information because federal funds to support the program are not available.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      Although funding for agricultural labor market information is needed, the funding should not come from assessments of the commodity commissions because those assessments are approved by grower referendum.