H-1155

AN ACT Relating to employment opportunities for federal timber impact areas; adding a new chapter to Title 50 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:

(1) The forest industry in Washington is undergoing a period of dramatic change. Forced reductions in timber harvest have resulted in economic hardship for timber workers and their families.

(2) Existing job assistance programs do not specifically address timber workers.

(3) It is in the clear interest of the state to provide employment opportunities and job assistance specifically addressing dislocated timber workers.

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a program that offers dislocated timber workers opportunities for forest-related employment that utilizes their unique skills.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter:

(1) "Department" means the employment security department.

(2) "Timber worker" means any person employed in industries within the standard industrial classification code numbers 8, 24, and 26.

(3) "Federal timber impact area" means any county meeting two of the following three criteria for the most recent year such data are available: (a) Logging and lumber employment location quotient of 1.0 or more of the state average as established by the department, (b) direct logging and lumber job loss of one hundred or more, or (c) annual unemployment rate twenty percent above the state average.

(4) "Program" or "counter-cyclical program" means the program for dislocated timber workers administered by the employment security department in conjunction with the department of natural resources.

(5) "Enrollee" means any person enrolled in the counter-cyclical program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The counter-cyclical program for dislocated timber workers is established in the department. The program shall provide forest-related employment and job retraining assistance to unemployed timber workers residing in federal timber impact areas. The department shall notify timber workers receiving unemployment benefits, or who have exhausted unemployment benefits of their eligibility for the program.

(2) A person is considered a dislocated timber worker and eligible to participate in this program:

(a) Upon exhaustion of unemployment insurance benefits received upon termination of employment from industries within the standard industrial classification code numbers 8, 24, and 26; or

(b) If currently unemployed, employed part time, or if employment has been terminated within one year previous to the effective date of this act.

(3) The department of natural resources shall employ candidates for the counter-cyclical program from a pool of eligible workers developed by the department.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department shall contract with the department of natural resources to provide employment opportunities for not less than two hundred eligible enrollees. Employment opportunities under the counter-cyclical program shall consist of activities that improve the value of state lands and waters managed by the department of natural resources. These activities may include, but are not limited to, thinning and precommercial thinning, pruning, slash removal, reforestation, fire suppression, trail maintenance, maintenance of recreational facilities, dike repair, development and maintenance of tourist facilities, stream enhancement, water quality enhancement, irrigation repair, and the building of shellfish beds.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Enrollees in the counter-cyclical program shall receive medical and dental benefits as provided under chapter 41.05 RCW, but are exempt from the provisions of chapter 41.06 RCW. Compensation for the counter-cyclical program shall be at least nine dollars per hour of employment. Employees shall not work more than thirty-two hours each week in this program and must agree to participate in the career orientation program established in this chapter, under the department. Participation in the counter-cyclical program is limited to six months. Employment under the program shall not result in the displacement or partial displacement of currently employed workers. This includes, but is not limited to, state employees or currently or normally contracted service employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The department shall develop a career orientation program for enrollees in the counter-cyclical program. The department shall provide at least eight hours of career counseling each week for enrollees in this program. The career orientation program shall include, but is not limited to, counseling on employment options and assistance in accessing retraining programs, and assistance in accessing social service programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department of natural resources shall provide compensation for enrollees in this program as provided under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The sum of four million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, of which three million nine hundred twenty-five thousand dollars is from the resource management cost account and seventy-five thousand dollars is from the forest development account to the department of natural resources solely for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 6 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 50 RCW.