HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1875

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to unemployment insurance benefits.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions for unemployment compensation benefits for services performed for educational service districts.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Peery and Zellinsky.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, March 1, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fuhrman, Ranking Minority Member; Franklin; Jones; R. King; Prentice; and Vance.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Lisk, Assistant Ranking Minority Member.

Staff:  Chris Cordes (786-7117).

Background:  Federal law requires the states to deny unemployment insurance benefits to certain employees who work for educational institutions during the school year.  Unemployment compensation may not be paid to these employees for unemployment that occurs between two successive academic terms if the employee has reasonable assurance that he or she will reemployed for the same services in the next academic term.  These provisions apply to all employees of school districts and employees of educational services districts who perform services in an educational institution.  However, some employees who provide services for educational service districts perform these services outside of the school, such as in a student's home or at the student's work site.  These employees are not denied unemployment benefits between terms.

Summary of Bill:  If an individual provides services to or on behalf of an educational service district at the request of a school district, the individual may not be paid unemployment benefits for unemployment that occurs between two successive academic terms when the employee has reasonable assurance that he or she will reemployed for the same services in the next academic term. 

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This bill would provide equal treatment to all employees who provide direct services to schools through an educational service district.  The employees who provide services in locations outside of the schools would have to meet the same requirements for unemployment benefits as those who provide services in the schools.  Consistency between all the staff who perform the same functions is an important part of personnel management. 

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Kim Peery, prime sponsor (in favor); Sharon Eastman, Educational Service District 112 (in favor); and Graeme Sackrison, Employment Security Department (no position).