HOUSE BILL REPORT

                     SSB 5374

                           As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to the industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program.

Brief Description:  Establishing the industrial insurance labor‑management cooperation program.

Sponsor(s):  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Anderson, Newhouse, Vognild, West, Conner and Thorsness).

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, April 5, 1991, DP;

Passed House, April 17, 1991, 95-0;

Passed Legislature, 95-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fuhrman, Ranking Minority Member; Lisk, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Franklin; Jones; R. King; O'Brien; Prentice; and Wilson.

Staff:  Chris Cordes (786-7117).

Background:  Some industries have implemented labor-management cooperation programs to deal with workers' compensation issues.  Several states also have successful workers' compensation labor-management programs.  The Washington industrial insurance law does not specifically address labor-management cooperation programs.

Summary of Bill:  An industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program is established in the Department of Labor and Industries to promote and support efforts by labor and management to jointly address the industrial insurance system and its operation in a local area or industry.

Through the program, the department will encourage the formation of local industrial insurance labor-management committees, serve as a clearinghouse for information on industrial insurance, and provide educational opportunities and other appropriate services. 

The director of the Department of Labor and Industries must appoint a program coordinator and make annual reports on the progress of the program to the Legislature.  The coordinator of the program must report quarterly to the Workers' Compensation Advisory Committee.

The program terminates on June 30, 1992.  If specific funding is not provided by June 30, 1991, in the biennial budget, the bill is null and void.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.  However, the bill is null and void if not funded in the budget.

Testimony For:  Labor-management cooperation programs have proved very effective in other states in reducing the adversarial aspects of workers' compensation.  This program would create an opportunity for both employers and employees to shape the future of their workers' compensation system.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Senator Ann Anderson, prime sponsor; Bob McCallister and George Lewis, Department of Labor and Industries; and Clif Finch, Association of Washington Business.