2450 AMS HLTH S4777.1

HB 2450  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Health Care

     Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   This act may be known and cited as the state employment disability parity act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that seven percent of the state's population consists of persons with disabilities, that persons with disabilities suffer significantly higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than in the general population, and that representation of disabled persons in the state workforce has declined in recent years. The legislature further finds that there is no policy similar to Schedule A in the federal civil service system for priority hiring of persons with disabilities. The legislature further finds that state government human resource managers do not coordinate with the department of social and health services' division of vocational rehabilitation regarding opportunities to employ persons with disabilities. Therefore, the legislature intends to increase the hiring of persons with disabilities in the state workforce.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Agencies employing one hundred or more people must submit an annual report to the office of financial management, with copies to the department of social and health services' division of vocational rehabilitation, the department of services for the blind, and the governor's committee on disabilities and employment. The report must be submitted in accordance with a schedule determined by the office of financial management.
     (2) The report must include the following information from the prior fiscal year:
     (a) The number of employees as of June 30th;
     (b) The number of employees classified as individuals with disabilities;
     (c) The number of employees that separated from the state agency;
     (d) The number of employees that were hired by the state agency;
     (e) The number of division of vocational rehabilitation program and department of services for the blind clients hired;
     (f) Anticipated hires for the current fiscal year; and
     (g) Planned opportunities for division of vocational rehabilitation clients leading to permanent employment."

HB 2450  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Health Care

     On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "disabilities;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "adding new sections to chapter 43.41 RCW; and creating a new section."

EFFECT:  The report requirement applies to agencies employing 100 or more people, rather than 30 or more. The report must be annual, submitted on a schedule determined by the office of financial management, and include data from the prior fiscal year. The department of services for the blind must be provided the report and clients of the department of services for the blind must be included in the data collected by the report. Rather than reporting individuals classified as disabled, the report must include those individuals who self-identify as disabled.

--- END ---