HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 2487

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to employers in the standard industrial classification.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions relating to employer reporting to the Washington state support registry.

Sponsors:  Representatives Appelwick, Forner and Karahalios; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Judiciary, February 1, 1994, DP.

Passed House, March 4, 1994, 96-0;

  Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Johanson, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Minority Member; Ballasiotes, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Chappell; Eide; Forner; J. Kohl; Long; Morris; H. Myers; Schmidt; Scott and Tate.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

Background:  The office of support enforcement, part of the Department of Social and Health Services, has established an employer reporting program to assist the office in collecting child support.  Under the program, certain employers are required to report to the Washington State Support Registry when the employer hires a person or rehires a person previously laid off or fired.  Employers required to participate in the program include employers in the standard industrial classifications as follows:

(a)construction industry sic codes:  15, building; 16, other than building;

(b)manufacturing industry sic code 37, transportation equipment;

(c)wholesale trade industry sic codes:  73, business services, except sic code 7362 (temporary help supply services); and 80, health services.

The office must promptly destroy the information received if the employee does not owe child support.  The agency has adopted the position that the information is confidential and does not share the information with other state agencies.

Summary of Bill:  The construction industry special trades sic code number 17 is added to the employer reporting program.  Technical changes are also made.

The Department of Social and Health Services must make the information available to other state agencies so those agencies can detect improper or fraudulent claims.  The requesting agency must keep the information confidential except as necessary to implement its duties and must destroy the information if the agency does not need it.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 24, 1994.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The bill adopts in part a recommendation by the Legislative Budget Committee to expand the employer reporting program.

Testimony Against:  None. 

Witnesses:  Mike Ricchio, Department of Social and Health Services (pro).