SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 6074

                      AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 18, 1992

Brief Description:  Providing additional unemployment insurance benefits.

SPONSORS: Senators Conner, Owen, Sutherland, Snyder, Amondson, Anderson, Bauer, McMullen and Erwin

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

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

      Signed by Senators Matson, Chairman; Anderson, Vice Chairman; Bluechel, McCaslin, McDonald, McMullen, Moore, Murray, and Skratek.

Staff:  Forrest Bathurst (786‑7429)

Hearing Dates: February 3, 1992; February 5, 1992

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Bailey, Bauer, Bluechel, Cantu, Metcalf, Murray, Newhouse, Niemi, Owen, Saling, Talmadge, West, and Wojahn.

Staff:  Steve Jones (786-7715)

Hearing Dates: February 6, 1992; February 10, 1992

BACKGROUND:

In 1991, the Legislature extended unemployment compensation for unemployed forest products workers.  Unemployed workers in timber impact counties and unemployed forest products workers in all counties are eligible for the program.  Workers must participate in approved training.  Persons who meet the eligibility requirements and have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits on or after July 27, 1991 may receive a total of 52 weeks of benefits including regular state unemployment benefits and extended timber benefits.

SUMMARY:

Extended timber unemployment compensation benefits are available to eligible workers who have a benefit year beginning after January 1, 1989.

Appropriation:  none 

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

TESTIMONY FOR (Commerce & Labor):

The reachback is very critical to timber workers seeking retraining that were not grandfathered into the original ESSB 5555.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Commerce & Labor):  None

TESTIFIED (Commerce & Labor):  PRO:  Kaye Masco, Patricia Sweeney, Skamania County; Graeme Sackrison, Employment Security; Gregg Dohrn, DSHS, Governor's Timber Team; Renee Lynch, citizen; Harriette Buchmann, Clallam County Commissioners; Herbert Macmillan, Grays Harbor College

TESTIMONY FOR (Ways & Means):

The bill implements the original legislative intent of the 1991 Timber Assistance Act by retroactively extending unemployment benefits to timber workers.  Over 600 workers will be helped by this assistance, which will have only minimal impact on the unemployment insurance trust fund.

TESTIMONY AGAINST (Ways & Means):  None

TESTIFIED (Ways & Means):  Senator Paul Conner (pro); Graeme Sackrison, Employment Security Department (pro)