AN ACT Relating to employment and training of persons of disability; adding new sections to chapter 43.131 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 50 RCW; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that improving the economic status of persons of disability, the state's largest social minority with over four hundred thousand people, will require active state involvement. Persons of disability suffer unemployment at almost twice the rate and experience poverty at more than twice the rate of the general population. Employers have experienced confusion about the variety of employment services available to them. Optimum service from, and access to, the state's training and placement programs for persons of disability requires coordination and a clear focus on the stated needs of persons of disability and their prospective employers. It is the purpose of this chapter to guarantee that representatives of the disability community, labor, and the private sector have an institutionalized means of meeting their respective needs in the training, employment, and economic participation of persons of disability.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is created within the employment security department the Washington disability training and placement coordination council.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Council" means the Washington disability training and placement coordinating council.

(2) "Region" and "regional" mean the twelve job training partnership act service delivery areas in the state created by the employment security department, or such regions as the employment security department shall create for purposes of fulfilling the intent of this chapter.

(3) "Services" means training, placement, and support services, both privately and publicly sponsored, that are designed to assist in the employment of persons of disability.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Fifteen people shall be appointed to the council. Council members shall consist of the executive director of the governor's committee on employment of the handicapped, the commissioner of the employment security department or a designee, the director of the department of social and health services division of vocational rehabilitation, the director of the department of social and health services division of developmental disabilities, the director of the department of personnel or a designee, the director of the developmental disabilities planning council or a designee, the director of the department of services for the blind or a designee, the superintendent of public instruction or a designee, the executive director of the commission for vocational education or a designee, one representative of labor, two representatives of private employers and three representatives of the disability community of which one shall represent injured workers. The executive director of the governor's committee on employment of the handicapped shall select the representatives of labor, private employers, and the disability community. The council shall be chaired by the executive director of the governor's committee on employment of the handicapped.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The representatives of labor, private employers, and the disability community shall serve without pay, but all council members shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the council under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The council shall be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive plan to ensure access to and coordination in delivery of services for persons of disability and their prospective employers.

(1) Prior to the development of the comprehensive plan, the council shall appoint a local committee in each region to identify local needs and impediments to employment of persons of disability. Each local committee shall develop and submit to the council a proposed plan to ensure access to services within their region. A local committee's plan shall:

(a) Be developed through consultation with local employers, persons of disability, and private and public providers of services;

(b) Define what access-to-service problems exist within the region;

(d) Be submitted to the council within six months of the local committee's formation.

(2) Each local committee shall consist of at least three state agency representatives that work within the region, at least two representatives from the disability community in the region, at least two private sector employers in the region, and such other representatives as the council may identify.

(3) The council shall develop its comprehensive plan after receipt of the proposed regional plans and shall make every effort to accommodate local conditions in its plan. The comprehensive plan of the council shall ensure a continued coordination function at the regional level, either through the regional committees or other regional mechanisms.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The council shall be responsible for operating a phone service to respond to requests for information from employers, persons of disability, local governments, and the general public about available services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The council shall evaluate all existing computer job listings by state agencies and develop recommendations to enhance their coordination and use to benefit persons of disability.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The council shall publish a monthly newsletter that includes fundamental information on available services, training opportunities, current activities of relevant state agencies, and developments in the field of disability employment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The council shall make a report on its activities to the governor and the senate and house ways and means and commerce and labor committees by December 1st of each even-numbered year.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 43.131 RCW to read as follows:

The Washington disability training and placement coordination council and its powers and duties shall be terminated on June 30, 1993, as provided in section 12 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 43.131 RCW to read as follows:

The following acts or parts of acts, as now existing or hereafter amended, are each repealed, effective June 30, 1994:

(1) Section 1, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 1 of this act);

(2) Section 2, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 2 of this act);

(3) Section 3, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 3 of this act);

(4) Section 4, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 4 of this act);

(5) Section 5, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 5 of this act);

(6) Section 6, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 6 of this act);

(7) Section 7, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 7 of this act);

(8) Section 8, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 8 of this act); and

(9) Section 9, chapter ---, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.--.--- (section 9 of this act).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. Sections 1 through 9 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 50 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. The sum of forty-nine thousand five hundred dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the employment security department for the purposes of this act.