WSR 19-17-001
AGENDA
DEPARTMENT OF
LABOR AND INDUSTRIES
[Filed August 7, 2019, 12:01 p.m.]
Pursuant to RCW 34.05.314, shown below is the department of labor and industries' (L&I) semi-annual rules development agenda for July 1 to December 31, 2019.
This report details current and anticipated rule-making activities for L&I. This agenda is for information purposes, and the noted dates of anticipated rule-making actions are estimates. There may be additional rule-making activities not anticipated at this time, such as to implement new state laws, meet federal requirements, or other circumstances.
Please contact Maggie Leland at 360-902-4504 or maggie.leland@Lni.wa.gov if you have any questions.
Semi-Annual Rules Development Agenda
July 1 - December 31, 2019
WAC
CHAPTER(S)
RULE SUBJECT
AGENCY
CONTACT
PROPOSED TIMELINE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF CHANGES
CR-101
CR-102
CR-103
Division: Administrative services
296-30
296-31
296-33
Crime victims compensation (CVC)
Maty Brimmer
Crime Victims
360-902-6707
Linda Messick
Crime Victims
360-902-5374
TBD
TBD
TBD
This rule making pertains to the administration of the CVC program, mental health treatment rules and fees, and attendant services. This rule making will consider adopting some rules from chapters 296-14, 296-20, 296-21, 296-23, 296-23A, and 296-23B WAC.
Division: Division of occupational safety and health (DOSH)
296-36
296-155
Part Q
Compressed air (tunnels)
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
9/18/12
TBD
TBD
This rule making is in response to petitions and other requests from labor and business industry stakeholders to update the compressed air work requirements in chapters 296-36 and 296-155 WAC, Part Q.
296-62
296-155
Lead
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
4/19/16
Spring 2020
TBD
This rule making is in response to a petition and a series of stakeholder meetings. This rule making was initiated to update existing lead standards in both general industry and construction in light of increasing evidence of the hazards associated with occupational lead exposure.
296-27
Recordkeeping and reporting, Phase 3
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
8/2/16
4/30/19
8/20/19
This rule making is in response to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publishing changes to section C.F.R. 1904.35, Employee Involvement, which left some of our rules not as effective. Housekeeping amendments were also proposed.
296-307
Worker protection standard (pesticides)
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
11/22/16
6/18/19
10/22/19
This rule making is in response to federal Environmental Protection Agency worker protection standard updates. The department is coordinating the adoption of the rules with the Washington state department of agriculture.
296-307
(removing
296-45)
eRules reformatting,
Phase 10
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
1/3/17
TBD
TBD
This rule making is the tenth filing package to reformat all DOSH rules for easier use, clearer understanding, and greater stakeholder access. Note that amendments to chapter 296-45 WAC will be removed from this rule making at the proposed rule making (CR-102) stage, as they were included in rule making adopted on June 18, 2019, under WSR 19-13-083.
296-67
Process safety management (PSM) of highly hazardous chemicals for petroleum refineries
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
8/22/17
October 2019
TBD
This rule making addresses the PSM requirements specific to petrochemical refining facilities. The current rules are outdated, not having been updated in over twenty years and do not reflect current industry practices.
296-65
Safety standards for asbestos removal and encapsulation
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
1/2/18
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to update the requirements regarding asbestos removal and encapsulation. This rule making intends to remove confusing and unnecessary language, as well as add clarification where necessary throughout the rule. Some requirements that may have updates include: Certification and testing requirements; when refresher training is required; and when temporary certificates can be issued.
296-52
Safety standards for possession, handling, and use of explosives
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
1/23/18
January - February 2020
TBD
In order to reflect technological advancements in explosives over the past ten to thirty years, and better align with federal regulations, the department is updating the safety standards for possession, handling, and use of explosives. Focus areas will likely include definitions, licensing, storage, background check requirements, public disclosure, and transportation, among other sections.
296-155
Crane incident reporting requirement
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
3/20/18
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to provide clarity on the department's interpretation of requirements relating to crane decertification and reinstatement. This rule making intends to address what activities are covered, and will clearly state that damage to critical parts of the crane would require notification, rather than just implying it. This rule making will include additional housekeeping changes as well.
296-155
Part S
Demolition standards
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
7/5/18
November - December 2019
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to update the requirements regarding demolition standards. The department is initiating this rule making to remove confusing and unnecessary language, as well as add clarification where necessary throughout the rule to improve safety. Other updates and housekeeping changes may also be made throughout the chapter.
296-24
Walking working surfaces
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
2/19/19
November - December 2019
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to address the requirements in chapter 296-24 WAC, General safety and health standards, Part J-1, walking-working surfaces. The department initiated this rule making to align with possible new language under the plan to adopt a single unified fall protection chapter and to be at-least-as-effective-as OSHA C.F.R. 1910.
296-155
296-24
296-800
(other chapters that reference the requirements may be updated to align with the changes)
Unified fall protection
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
2/19/19
January - February 2020
TBD
This rule making is in response to OSHA updates made in November 2016. Stakeholders requested the department create a single unified fall protection standard that applies to all industries statewide. This rule making will amend the department's rules to make them at-least-as-effective-as OSHA.
296-155
Part O
Safety standards for reinforcing steel and posttensioning activities
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
3/5/19
January - February 2020
TBD
This rule making is in response to a petition received to adopt new safety standards for reinforcing steel and post-tensioning activities for iron workers, specifically standards contained in the newly revised 2018 - ANSI A10.9 (2013) Standard, Safety Requirements for Concrete and Masonry Work.
296-32
eRules reformatting, Phase 11
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
8/6/19
TBD
TBD
This rule making is the eleventh filing package to reformat all DOSH rules for easier use, clearer understanding, and greater stakeholder access.
296-800
Adult entertainer safety
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
TBD
TBD
TBD
Rule making will make required changes made by HB 1756 for adult entertainer safety in the accident prevention plan and other measures.
296-840
Respirable crystalline silica (agriculture)
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
TBD
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to clarify the application of the respirable crystalline silica rules to agriculture.
269-307
Part Y
Precommercial thinning
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
TBD
TBD
TBD
The rule making is to consider establishing minimum safety standards for precommercial thinning in agriculture.
296-155
Crane operator qualification in construction
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
TBD
TBD
TBD
This rule making [is] in response to OSHA updating rules for crane operator licensing/certification requirements and establishing minimum requirements for determining operator competency.
296-305
296-803
296-811
296-835
296-842
296-863
296-855
Change log, Phase 5
Chris Miller
DOSH Standards Program
360-902-5516
TBD
(CR-105)
TBD
TBD
The rule making will consider amendments to correct outstanding housekeeping issues, such as correcting typos and updating old references, which are on the DOSH change log.
Division: Field services and public safety
296-96
Elevator rules (American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17.3)
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
8/31/18
4/16/19
7/23/19
The purpose of this rule making is to adopt additional requirements from the 2015 ASME A17.3 safety codes for existing elevators and escalators.
296-46B
Electrical rules
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
9/4/18
5/1/19
7/23/19
The purpose of this rule making is to update and clarify existing rules, make housekeeping changes, accept stakeholder proposals, implement new legislation, and adopt the 2020 edition of the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC) by reference with an effective date.
296-104
Board of boiler rules
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
1/22/19
4/2/19
7/23/19
The purpose of this rule making is to:
· Amend the definition of "places of public assembly or assembly hall" to include assisted living facilities as housing and basic services for seven or more residents;
· Require authorized inspection agencies or inspectors to submit inspection reports through the state's third party provider database. If the agency or inspector does not have access to the third party database, then reports can be submitted to L&I for processing. L&I would charge a processing fee; and
· Establish a new fee of $7 per boiler and pressure vessel for the department to process inspection reports.
296-150F
Factory-assembled structures (FAS): Factory-built housing and commercial structures
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
7/2/19
9/3/19
11/19/19
The purpose of this rule making is to update the rules regarding factory-built housing and commercial structures, to include panelized construction. This rule making will include intent to make the rules related to E2SHB 1257, Energy efficiency, HB 1486, Delegation of authority, and SB [ESSB] 5383, Tiny homes.
296-46B
Temporary electrician permits (emergency rule making)
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
N/A
N/A
7/3/19 Emergency
This emergency rule making provides for the issuance of reciprocal licenses and temporary permits in lieu of certificates of competency for electricians coming from another state as authorized by RCW 19.28.231.
296-96
Elevator rules
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
8/20/19
10/1/19
12/17/19
The purpose of this rule making is to consider changes to the elevator rules. The elevator program reviewed specific sections of the elevator rules to update and clarify existing rules, make reference corrections, perform general housekeeping, and consider other rule changes.
296-150I
296-150M
FAS: Manufactured home installer training and certification program and manufactured homes
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
8/20/19
12/17/19
3/17/20
The purpose of this rule making is to consider changes to the FAS rules that would adopt rules to comply with U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. L&I also plans to review the rules to consider updates, clarification, and housekeeping changes to the rules.
296-403A
Electrical rules (amusement rides or structures)
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
TBD
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to consider changes to the electrical rules for amusement rides or structures. L&I plans to perform a review of the rules to update and clarify existing rules, and make housekeeping changes.
296-46B
Electrical rules
Alicia Curry
Field Services and Public
Safety
360-902-6244
TBD
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to consider changes to the electrical rules that would adopt new safety codes from the 2020 edition of NEC. L&I is also considering updating, clarifying, and making housekeeping changes to the rules.
Division: Fraud prevention and labor standards
296-128-500 through
296-128-540
Executive administrative professional exemptions
Joshua Grice
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
3/20/18
6/4/19
12/3/19
The department is proposing changes to the definitions of bona fide executive, administrative, professional and outside salespersons for the purposes of coverage under chapter 49.46 RCW, Minimum wage requirements and labor standards.
296-127
Prevailing wage
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
12/18/18
6/4/19
7/23/19
The purpose of this rule making is to review prevailing wage rules for housekeeping changes in order to further clarify the language without changing the effect of any rule except where necessary to align with statute or case law. No substantive changes were proposed in this rule.
296-127
Prevailing wage landscape maintenance workers (permanent rule making)
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
3/8/19
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to permanently adopt the landscape maintenance worker scope of work. The department adopted emergency rules on March 8, 2019, effective March 11, 2019, establishing this scope as separate and unique from landscape construction (landscape laborer).
296-127
Prevailing wage landscape maintenance workers (emergency rule making)
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
N/A
N/A
7/5/19 Emergency
This emergency rule making will continue emergency rule making filed on March 8, 2019, that became effective March 11 and expires [expired] on July 6, 2019. This rule making amends the prevailing wage rules in order to provide a new scope of work specific to landscape maintenance that is separate and unique from landscape construction.
296-05
Apprenticeship rules
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
7/23/19
TBD
TBD
This rule making is being proposed to incorporate federally required changes to rules for equal opportunity in apprenticeship. Address changes required by HB 1849 concerning use of registered apprentices on qualifying public works construction projects (apprentice utilization requirements). Make technical corrections arising from the 2018 rule making.
New chapter
Labor standard certification for clean energy (emergency rule making)
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
N/A
N/A
12/1/19 Emergency
E2SSB 5116 requires the department adopt emergency rules related to labor standard certification for certain tax exemptions for alternative energy projects.
New chapter
Labor standard certification for clean energy (permanent rule making)
Beverly Clark
Fraud Prevention and
  Labor Standards
360-902-5310
TBD
TBD
TBD
E2SSB 5116 requires the department adopt permanent rules related to labor standard certification for certain tax exemptions for alternative energy projects.
Division: Insurance services
296-17A
2019 Classification amendments
James Vest
Employer Services
360-902-4799
10/2/18
6/18/19
8/20/19
The purpose of this rule making is to:
· Correct typographical and other errors (such as invalid telephone numbers and out-of-date references);
· Revise wording and formatting to make the rules easier to understand and apply; and
· Incorporate and formalize existing agency practices (such as expressly including in a risk classification employment that the department currently includes by interpretation or analogy).
296-17
296-17B
2020 Workers' compensation premium rates
Jo Anne Attwood
Employer Services
360-902-4777
6/18/19
9/17/19
November
2019
This rule making will set the rates for 2020 workers' compensation insurance.
296-17
Occupational disease date of injury
Annie Peeples
Employer Services
360-902-4723
7/23/19
9/17/19
11/19/19
The purpose of this rule making is to ensure the experience rating rule governing the date of injury for occupational disease claims is clear and equitable.
296-20
296-23
Medical aid rules update
Emily Stinson
Health Services Analysis
360-902-5974
12/18/18
TBD
TBD
The purpose of this rule making is to update payment rates for health care services, which are published annually in the medical aid rules and fee schedules.
296-14
Reopenings for benefits
Tanya Weber
Health Services Analysis
360-902-6818
5/21/19 Expedited
N/A
7/23/19
The purpose of this expedited rule making was to amend WAC 296-14-400 Reopenings for benefits, to remove the requirement that applications to reopen a workers' compensation claim must be submitted by a provider in the department's medical provider network (MPN) as a result of the state of Washington court of appeals decision (Ronald V. Ma'ae v. State of WA Dept of Labor And Industries, 2019 WL 1492822) that found the department cannot prohibit non-MPN providers from submitting reopening applications.
296-14
Presumptive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) coverage (SB [SSB] 6214)
Suzy Campbell
Legal Services
360-902-5003
8/21/18
TBD
TBD
This rule making will update existing rules and create new rules needed to implement SB [SSB] 6214, allowing industrial insurance coverage for PTSD of law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
296-21
Master's level therapists (MLT) pilot
Suzy Campbell
Legal Services
360-902-5003
TBD
TBD
TBD
The department currently doesn't allow MLTs to treat or bill injured workers.
This rule making will use pilot rule making to identify appropriate roles for MLTs to provide behavioral and mental health focused on recovery and return to work for workers with a work-related injury or illness.
296-14
Pension discount rate 2020
Suzy Campbell
Legal Services
360-902-5003
8/20/19
10/22/19
1/2/20
This rule making will reduce the current pension discount rate for 2020. The pension discount rate is the interest rate used to account for the time value of money when evaluating the present value of future pension payments.
296-20
Acupuncture/
acupuncture pilot
spine impairment ratings
Jami Lifka
Office of the Medical
Director
360-902-4941
TBD
TBD
TBD
L&I's spinal impairment ratings were adopted in 1974. The changes will bring these rules up to current standards of rating impairment in injured workers.
296-17B
Retrospective rating
Julie Osterberg
Retrospective Rating
360-902-5819
11/5/13
TBD
TBD
This rule making will address extending requirements for businesses that enroll in individual retro plans and revise enrollment requirements for businesses under common majority ownership.
296-17B
Retrospective rating for workers' compensation insurance Common ownership (pilot)
Julie Osterberg
Retrospective Rating
360-902-5819
8/5/15
TBD
TBD
This pilot rule making will consider/allow exceptions to the retroactive rating program's current common ownership rule (WAC 296-17B-770) as written.
296-19A
Vocational rehabilitation
Laurinda Grytness
Return to Work
Partnerships
360-902-6362
6/4/19
8/20/19
10/22/19
This rule making will support the department's vocational recovery effort by:
· Ensuring expectations of vocational providers are better aligned with the return-to-work language in RCW 51.32.095;
· Addressing certain requirements for vocational firms; and
· Outlining when and to what degree vocational providers may be subject to corrective action or sanctions.
296-15
Medical bill electronic data interchange (EDI)
James Nylander
Self-Insurance
360-902-6907
4/19/16
6/4/19
8/20/19
The department and the self-insured employer community agreed to partner in the development of a self-insurance risk analysis system. One component of this system features the collection of medical bill data using EDI.
This rule making will amend existing rules and adopt a new rule in order to make reporting requirements clear and to ensure a uniform standard of reporting is established.
Maggie Leland
Rules Coordinator