FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1969

                     Synopsis as Enacted

                         C 7 L 93 E1

Brief Description:  Creating the "Washington serves" voluntary service program.

By House Committee on Trade, Economic Development & Housing (originally sponsored by Representatives Wang, Locke, Silver, Wineberry, Sommers, Forner, Kremen, Jones, Springer, Patterson, Ogden and J. Kohl).

House Committee on Trade, Economic Development and Housing

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Government Operations

Background:  The Washington Service Corps Program was created by the Legislature in 1983.  The purpose of the program is to provide service opportunities and meaningful work experience to young adults between the ages of 18 and 25.  The Department of Employment Security (DES) is responsible for the administration of the program.

However, budget constraints on governmental and nonprofit organizations have led to a reduction of program services at a time of increased demand.  Many of these organizations could use volunteers on a full-time basis.  The use of volunteers would allow the organizations to continue to deliver needed services while giving volunteers a meaningful work experience as well.

Summary:  The Washington Serves Program is created to provide full-time community service opportunities to people over the age of 21.  DES is to coordinate the program with all other federal or state funded volunteer service programs to maximize benefits to the volunteers and the community.

DES may recruit, train, place, and evaluate applicants wanting to participate in the program.  DES is authorized to enter into agreements or contracts with governmental or nonprofit organizations wanting a placement of a volunteer.

An applicant to the Washington Serves Program must:  be a Washington resident; agree to serve for a period of one year, but may serve for a period of less than one year if approved by DES; and be committed to providing full-time service to the community.   Volunteers may reapply to serve for an additional period not to exceed two years.

Program applicants may be placed with any public or private nonprofit organization, program, or project that qualifies under the program.  The applicants must work on projects that benefit the community or state at large.  Eligible projects include those that address jobless or homeless persons, provide support to persons in need of job training or retraining, address health care problems of low-income persons, address alcohol and drug abuse problems, or seek to enhance or improve the environment.

Volunteers are provided the following benefits for participation in the program:  (1) a monthly subsistence allowance as determined by DES, taking into consideration amounts paid in other federal or state volunteer programs; (2) a post service stipend, upon completion of service, that is based on the number of months of service; and (3) state medical aid coverage.

Volunteers can not be used to displace or partially displace existing workers and those placed in participating agencies are not eligible for unemployment compensation coverage.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  97 1

First Special Session

House  91 0

Senate 33 8

Effective:  August 5, 1993