H-4504

AN ACT Relating to senior environmental corps; adding new sections to chapter 43.63A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.23 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.21A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.30 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 75.08 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 77.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.51 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 90.70 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

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

Enhancement and protection of the state's environment demands more resources than government funding can provide;

A critical underutilized asset to society is the knowledge, skills, abilities, and wisdom of our expanding, able senior population;

Central to the well-being and continued connection to society of Washington's senior citizens is the opportunity for them to voluntarily continue to provide meaningful contributions and to share their professional training, lifelong skills, talents, and wisdom with Washington state's citizens;

It will benefit all the citizens of the state of Washington to create a partnership between our senior citizens and the state's natural resource agencies to augment our capability to protect, enhance, and appreciate the environment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 1 through 7 of this act.

"Agency" means one of the agencies or organizations participating in the activities of the senior environmental corps.

"Coordinator" means the person designated by the director of the department of community development with the advice of the council to administer the activities of the senior environmental corps.

"Corps" means the senior environmental corps.

"Council" means the senior environmental corps coordinating council.

"Department" means the department of community development.

"Director" means the director of the department of community development or the director's authorized representative.

"Representative" means the person who represents an agency on the council and is responsible for the activities of the senior environmental corps in his or her agency.

"Senior" means any person who is fifty-five years of age or over.

"Volunteer" means a person who is willing to work without expectation of salary or financial reward, and who chooses where he or she provides services and the type of services he or she provides.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The senior environmental corps is created within the department of community development. The departments of agriculture, community development, ecology, fisheries, health, natural resources, and wildlife, the parks and recreation commission, and the Puget Sound water quality authority shall participate in the administration and implementation of the corps and shall appoint representatives to the council.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The goals of the corps shall be to:

Provide resources and a support structure to facilitate corps activities and accomplish goals;

Carry out professional and paraprofessional projects that focus on conservation, protection, rehabilitation, and enhancement of the state's natural, environmental, and recreational resources and that otherwise would not be implemented because of limited financial resources;

Provide meaningful opportunities for senior volunteers to continue to utilize their professional training, lifelong skills, abilities, experience, and wisdom through participation in corps projects;

Assist agencies in carrying out statutory assignments with limited funding resources;

Enhance community understanding of environmental issues through educational outreach; and

Enhance the state's ability to provide needed public services in both urban and rural settings.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department shall convene a senior environmental corps coordinating council to meet as needed to establish and assess policies, define standards for projects, evaluate and select projects, develop recruitment, training, and placement procedures, receive and review project status and completion reports, and provide for recognition of volunteer activity. The council shall include representatives appointed by the departments of agriculture, community development, ecology, fisheries, health, natural resources, and wildlife, the parks and recreation commission, and the Puget Sound water quality authority. The council shall develop bylaws, policies and procedures to govern its activities.

The council shall advise the director on distribution of available funding for corps activities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) Contingent upon available funding, the department shall:

Provide a coordinator and staff support to the council as needed;

Provide support to the agencies for recruitment of volunteers;

Develop a budget and allocate available funds with the advice of the council;

Develop a written volunteer agreement;

Collect and maintain project and volunteer records;

Provide reports to the legislature and the council as requested;

Provide agency project managers and volunteers with orientation to the corps program and training in the use of volunteers;

Act as a liaison with and provide information to other states and jurisdictions on the corps program and program activities;

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. All volunteer activity must be performed under the terms of a written master agreement approved by the council and the attorney general. As a minimum, the volunteer agreement must include a description of the work that the volunteer is to perform, including the standards of performance required, any expenses or other benefits to which the volunteer is to be entitled, such as mileage, lodging, state industrial coverage, uniforms, or other clothing or supplies, training or other support to be provided to the volunteer by the agency, the duration of the agreement, and the terms under which the agreement may be canceled.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of agriculture shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 43.21A RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of ecology shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of natural resources shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps-approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps-approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 75.08 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of fisheries shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of health shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. A new section is added to chapter 77.12 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department of wildlife shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The department shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. A new section is added to chapter 43.51 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The parks and recreation commission shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers and procedures for reimbursement of volunteer expenses;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The commission shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. A new section is added to chapter 90.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Puget Sound water quality authority shall have the following powers and duties in carrying out its responsibilities for the senior environmental corps created under section 3 of this act:

Appoint a representative to the coordinating council;

Develop project proposals;

Administer project activities within the agency;

Develop appropriate procedures for the use of volunteers;

Provide project orientation, technical training, safety training, equipment, and supplies to carry out project activities;

Maintain project records and provide project reports;

Apply for and accept grants or contributions for corps approved projects; and

With the approval of the council, enter into memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies to carry out corps approved projects.

(2) The authority shall not use corps volunteers to displace currently employed workers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 17. Sections 1 through 7 of this act are each added to chapter 43.63A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 18. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.