H-1259.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 1625

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Representatives McLean, Rayburn, Nealey, Kremen, Chandler, Grant, Fuhrman, Ballard, Moyer and Rasmussen.

Read first time February 4, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.Removing the requirement for the development of a plan for voluntary combined reporting for agricultural employers.

     AN ACT Relating to combined reporting for agricultural employers; and amending RCW 49.30.005.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 49.30.005 and 1990 c 245 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) It is the intent of the legislature that the department assist agricultural employers in mitigating the costs of the state's unemployment insurance program.  The department shall work with members of the agricultural community to:  Improve understanding of the program's operation; increase compliance with work-search requirements; provide prompt notification of potential claims against an employer's experience rating; inform employers of their rights; inform employers of the actions necessary to appeal a claim and to protect their rights; and reduce claimant and employer fraud.  These efforts shall include:

     (a) Conducting employer workshops and community seminars;

     (b) Developing new educational materials; and

     (c) Developing forms that use lay language.

     (2) ((The employment security department, the department of labor and industries, the department of licensing, and the department of revenue shall develop a plan to implement voluntary combined reporting for agricultural employers by January 1, 1992.  The departments shall submit the plan to the legislature by January 10, 1990, and include recommendations for legislation necessary to standardize and simplify statutory coverage and other requirements.  Such standardization shall be as consistent with federal requirements as possible.

     The departments shall consult with representatives of agricultural employer and labor associations and general business associations in the development of the plan and legislation.  The departments shall ensure that they accommodate the needs of small agricultural employers in particular.

     (3))) The department shall report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by January 10, 1990, 1991, and 1992 and include a description of the activities of the department to carry out the intents of this section and provide quantitative data where possible on the effectiveness of the activities undertaken by the department to comply with the intents of this section during the previous calendar year.