WSR 16-09-091

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed April 19, 2016, 11:21 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 296-17 WAC, General reporting rules, audit and recordkeeping, rates and rating system for Washington workers' compensation insurance and chapter 296-17A WAC, Classifications for Washington workers' compensation insurance.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 51.16.035.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: This rule making is to implement requirements of ESSB 6293 which allows public and private colleges to create unpaid student volunteer programs for-profit or nonprofit businesses, and for those businesses to elect medical aid coverage for those students. Providing employers the opportunity to elect medical aid coverage for students in unpaid experience-based activities will encourage more employers to participate in these school-sponsored programs.

Also, private colleges will now be able to elect medical aid coverage for students volunteering for the college itself. (Current law requires state colleges to cover volunteers serving the college, but allows only charitable private organizations to elect coverage for volunteers.)

This legislation also creates a means for all entities with coverage for volunteers, student volunteers, or unpaid students to cap reporting at one hundred hours per volunteer per year. This type of reporting is not currently an option for employers and labor and industries (L&I) must design rules to implement such a reporting and premium change.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: No other state, local or federal agency regulates this subject.

Process for Developing New Rule: L&I will solicit input from the business community by way of the internet. L&I will use input to formulate proposed changes to the existing rules and advise customers of future rule making by the internet.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Employers can obtain information on our rule-making process at http://www.lni.wa.gov/LawRule/ruleProcess.asp and can submit comments electronically to JoAnne.Attwood@Lni.wa.gov or calling (360) 902-4777, or fax (360) 902-5830.

April 19, 2016

Joel Sacks

Director