H-4074

AN ACT Relating to inmate work programs; amending RCW 72.09.100 and 82.29A.130; and adding a new section to chapter 82.04 RCW.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 72.09.100 and 1990 c 22 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

It is the intent of the legislature to vest in the department the power to provide for a comprehensive inmate work program and to remove statutory and other restrictions which have limited work programs in the past. For purposes of establishing such a comprehensive program, the legislature recommends that the department consider adopting any or all, or any variation of, the following classes of work programs:

(1) CLASS I: FREE VENTURE INDUSTRIES. The employer model industries in this class shall be operated and managed in total or in part by any profit or nonprofit organization pursuant to an agreement between the organization and the department. The organization shall produce goods or services for sale to both the public and private sector.

The customer model industries in this class shall be operated and managed by the department to provide Washington state manufacturers or businesses with products or services currently produced or provided by out-of-state or foreign suppliers. The correctional industries board of directors shall review these proposed industries before the department contracts to provide such products or services. The review shall include an analysis of the potential impact of the proposed products and services on the Washington state business community and labor market.

The department of corrections shall supply appropriate security and custody services without charge to the participating firms.

Inmates who work in free venture industries shall do so at their own choice. They shall be paid a wage ((~~not less than sixty percent of the approximate prevailing wage within the state for the occupation~~)) comparable to the wage paid for work of a similar nature in the locality in which the industry is located, as determined by the director of ((~~the~~)) correctional industries ((~~division~~)). If the director ((~~finds that he~~)) cannot reasonably determine the comparable wage, then the pay shall not be less than the federal minimum wage.

(2) CLASS II: TAX REDUCTION INDUSTRIES. Industries in this class shall be state-owned and operated enterprises designed to reduce the costs for goods and services for tax-supported agencies and for nonprofit organizations. The industries selected for development within this class shall, as much as possible, match the available pool of inmate work skills and aptitudes with the work opportunities in the free community. The industries shall be closely patterned after private sector industries but with the objective of reducing public support costs rather than making a profit. The products and services of this industry, including purchased products and services necessary for a complete product line, may be sold to public agencies, to nonprofit organizations, and to private contractors when the goods purchased will be ultimately used by a public agency or a nonprofit organization. Clothing manufactured by an industry in this class may be donated to nonprofit organizations that provide clothing free of charge to low-income persons. Correctional industries products and services shall be reviewed by the correctional industries board of directors before offering such products and services for sale to private contractors. The board of directors shall conduct a yearly marketing review of the products and services offered under this subsection. Such review shall include an analysis of the potential impact of the proposed products and services on the Washington state business community. To avoid waste or spoilage and consequent loss to the state, when there is no public sector market for such goods, byproducts and surpluses of timber, agricultural, and animal husbandry enterprises may be sold to private persons, at private sale. Surplus ((~~by-products~~)) byproducts and surpluses of timber, agricultural and animal husbandry enterprises that cannot be sold to public agencies or to private persons may be donated to nonprofit organizations. All sales of surplus products shall be carried out in accordance with rules prescribed by the secretary.

Security and custody services shall be provided without charge by the department of corrections.

Inmates working in this class of industries shall do so at their own choice and shall be paid for their work on a gratuity scale which shall not exceed the ((~~federal minimum~~)) wage paid for work of a similar nature in the locality in which the industry is located and which is approved by the director of correctional industries.

(3) CLASS III: INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT INDUSTRIES. Industries in this class shall be operated by the department of corrections. They shall be designed and managed to accomplish the following objectives:

(a) Whenever possible, to provide basic work training and experience so that the inmate will be able to qualify for better work both within correctional industries and the free community. It is not intended that an inmate's work within this class of industries should be his or her final and total work experience as an inmate.

(b) Whenever possible, to provide forty hours of work or work training per week.

Supervising, management, and custody staff shall be employees of the department.

All able and eligible inmates who are assigned work and who are not working in other classes of industries shall work in this class.

Except for inmates who work in work training programs, inmates in this class shall be paid for their work in accordance with an inmate gratuity scale. The scale shall be adopted by the secretary of corrections.

(4) CLASS IV: COMMUNITY WORK INDUSTRIES. Industries in this class shall be operated by the department of corrections. They shall be designed and managed to provide services in the inmate's resident community at a reduced cost. The services shall be provided to public agencies, to persons who are poor or infirm, or to nonprofit organizations.

Inmates in this program shall reside in facilities owned by, contracted for, or licensed by the department of corrections. A unit of local government shall provide work supervision services without charge to the state and shall pay the inmate's wage.

The department of corrections shall reimburse participating units of local government for liability and workers compensation insurance costs.

Inmates who work in this class of industries shall do so at their own choice and shall receive a gratuity which shall not exceed the ((~~minimum~~)) wage paid for ((~~their~~)) work of a similar nature in the locality in which the industry is located.

(5) CLASS V: COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS. Programs in this class shall be subject to supervision by the department of corrections. The purpose of this class of industries is to enable an offender, placed on community supervision, to work off all or part of a community service order as ordered by the sentencing court.

Employment shall be in a community service program operated by the state, local units of government, or a nonprofit agency.

To the extent that funds are specifically made available for such purposes, the department of corrections shall reimburse nonprofit agencies for workers compensation insurance costs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 82.04 RCW to read as follows:

In computing tax, persons participating in a free venture industries program under RCW 72.09.100(1) may deduct from the measure of tax amounts paid for gross inmate wages under the program.

Sec. 3. RCW 82.29A.130 and 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 61 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

The following leasehold interests shall be exempt from taxes imposed pursuant to RCW 82.29A.030 and 82.29A.040:

(1) All leasehold interests constituting a part of the operating properties of any public utility which is assessed and taxed as a public utility pursuant to chapter 84.12 RCW.

(2) All leasehold interests in facilities owned or used by a school, college or university which leasehold provides housing for students and which is otherwise exempt from taxation under provisions of RCW 84.36.010 and 84.36.050.

(3) All leasehold interests of subsidized housing where the fee ownership of such property is vested in the government of the United States, or the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof but only if income qualification exists for such housing.

(4) All leasehold interests used for fair purposes of a nonprofit fair association that sponsors or conducts a fair or fairs which receive support from revenues collected pursuant to RCW 67.16.100 and allocated by the director of the department of agriculture where the fee ownership of such property is vested in the government of the United States, the state of Washington or any of its political subdivisions: PROVIDED, That this exemption shall not apply to the leasehold interest of any sublessee of such nonprofit fair association if such leasehold interest would be taxable if it were the primary lease.

(5) All leasehold interests in any property of any public entity used as a residence by an employee of that public entity who is required as a condition of employment to live in the publicly owned property.

(6) All leasehold interests held by enrolled Indians of lands owned or held by any Indian or Indian tribe where the fee ownership of such property is vested in or held in trust by the United States and which are not subleased to other than to a lessee which would qualify pursuant to this chapter, RCW 84.36.451 and 84.40.175.

(7) All leasehold interests in any real property of any Indian or Indian tribe, band, or community that is held in trust by the United States or is subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States: PROVIDED, That this exemption shall apply only where it is determined that contract rent paid is greater than or equal to ninety percent of fair market rental, to be determined by the department of revenue using the same criteria used to establish taxable rent in RCW 82.29A.020(2)(b).

(8) All leasehold interests for which annual taxable rent is less than two hundred fifty dollars per year. For purposes of this subsection leasehold interests held by the same lessee in contiguous properties owned by the same lessor shall be deemed a single leasehold interest.

(9) All leasehold interests which give use or possession of the leased property for a continuous period of less than thirty days: PROVIDED, That for purposes of this subsection, successive leases or lease renewals giving substantially continuous use of possession of the same property to the same lessee shall be deemed a single leasehold interest: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no leasehold interest shall be deemed to give use or possession for a period of less than thirty days solely by virtue of the reservation by the public lessor of the right to use the property or to allow third parties to use the property on an occasional, temporary basis.

(10) All leasehold interests under month-to-month leases in residential units rented for residential purposes of the lessee pending destruction or removal for the purpose of constructing a public highway or building.

(11) All leasehold interests in any publicly owned real or personal property to the extent such leasehold interests arises solely by virtue of a contract for public improvements or work executed under the public works statutes of this state or of the United States between the public owner of the property and a contractor.

(12) All leasehold interests that give use or possession of state adult correctional facilities for the purposes of operating correctional industries under RCW 72.09.100.