HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 5330

BYSenate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Garrett, Johnson, Peterson, Tanner, Warnke, Williams and Kiskaddon; by request of Joint Select Committee on Disability Employment and Economic Participation)

Establishing the disability accommodation revolving fund.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisch, Fisher, R. King, O'Brien, Patrick, Sanders, Sayan, C. Smith and Walker.

House Staff:Chris Cordes (786-7117)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 27, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Job site changes and equipment purchases are often necessary to accommodate the employment of persons of disability.  The Joint Select Committee on Disability Employment and Economic Participation recommended that an accommodation fund be established for state agencies and higher education institutions.  The committee determined that a potential barrier to employment of persons of disability could be removed if agencies were not required to fund unanticipated accommodation expenses not possible to forecast in the biennial budget planning process.

SUMMARY:

The disability accommodation revolving fund is created in the state treasurer's office for exclusive use by state agencies to accommodate the unanticipated job site or equipment needs of persons of disability in state employ.  Disbursements from the fund will be made on the authorization of the director of the Department of Personnel or director's designee.  An advisory review board appointed by the director will establish criteria for use of the fund, review and approve requests for disbursements, and provide assistance to users of the fund.

Moneys received from the fund will be returned to the fund by the receiving agencies at the beginning of the following fiscal biennium.

Appropriation:    $200,000 to the disability accommodation revolving fund.

Fiscal Note:      Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Les Treece-Sinclair, Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment; and Russell Scott, Department of Personnel.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    A disability accommodation fund will enable agencies, especially smaller agencies, to hire persons for whom job modifications are needed without disrupting the agency budget.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.