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.
