SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6544

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Economic Development & International Trade, January 25, 2018

Title: An act relating to establishing the future of work task force.

Brief Description: Establishing the future of work task force.

Sponsors: Senators Chase, Brown, Hasegawa, Wagoner, Wellman, Takko and Conway.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Economic Development & International Trade: 1/25/18 [DP-WM].

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Establishes the Future of Work Task Force to address manufacturing job loss issues.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators Chase, Chair; Takko, Vice Chair; Brown, Ranking Member; Wagoner and Wellman.

Staff: Greg Vogel (786-7413)

Background: Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board). The Workforce Board is a partnership of labor, business, and government dedicated to helping Washington State residents obtain and succeed in family-wage jobs, while meeting employers' needs for skilled workers. As a state agency the Workforce Board oversees a workforce development system that includes 16 education and training programs receiving almost $1 billion annually in state and federal funds.

Summary of Bill: The Future of Work Task Force (Task Force) is established to:

The Task Force will consist of two members from the House of Representatives and two members from the Senate, appointed by the majority and minority leader of the two major caucuses in the House and the Senate, and six business and six labor representatives, appointed by the Workforce Board.

The Task Force is required to meet four times a year and must perform the following duties:

Appropriation: The sum of $350,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, from the general fund to the Workforce Board for the purposes of the act.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 24, 2018.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: Yes.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This bill is part of a broader look at the workforce and what we do with the workforce as society and the economy changes—the changes in how people go to work and what they do. The bill does have the potential for duplication of efforts. The state has a lot of plans and metrics related to workforce development. While not exactly tackling the topics in this legislation, the programs does add pieces of the topic to the conversation. There is a need to focus on actionable data and scalable examples of promising practices.

OTHER: The Workforce Board will address this topic further in today's work session, but the bill addresses the issues that the state, and the rest of the country, is facing in terms of transformation in industries and the work sector, relating to changing technologies and automation.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Maralyn Chase, Prime Sponsor; Katherine Mahoney, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. OTHER: Eleni Papadakis, Workforce Board.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.