SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5530

  AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE, MARCH 3, 1993

Brief Description:  Revising the definition of reasonable assurance for unemployment insurance.

SPONSORS: Senators Prentice, Pelz, Spanel, Moore, McAuliffe, Fraser and Franklin

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5530 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Moore, Chairman; Prentice, Vice Chairman; Fraser, McAuliffe, Pelz, Sutherland, and Vognild.

Staff:  Patrick Woods (786‑7430)

Hearing Dates: March 2, 1993; March 3, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Currently, employees of educational institutions are subject to special conditions with regard to unemployment insurance.  Employees that are separated from work for a limited period of time are not eligible for unemployment benefits if they have a "reasonable assurance" of being reemployed in the same position in the coming academic year or term.

Community college administrators consider parttime instructors to have "reasonable assurance" of being reemployed even if their contract does not guarantee a position in the coming academic year.

"Reasonable assurance" is currently defined as an agreement that the employee will perform services in the same capacity in the coming academic year.  This criteria applies to classified and academic faculty in both K-12 and higher educational institutions.

SUMMARY:

The definition of "reasonable assurance" for employees of educational institutions is modified.  An offer of employment that is contingent on funding, enrollment, or program changes is not considered "reasonable assurance" of employment.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The definition of "reasonable assurance" is modified to include "an offer of parttime instructional employment."

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

These changes will assist parttime community college faculty who have no guarantee of future employment but are still unable to receive unemployment benefits.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

This is an expansion on the use of unemployment benefits and will result in additional administrative costs to the Department of Employment Security.

TESTIFIED:  Representative Jeanne Kohl; Graeme Sackrison, ESD; Wendy Rader-Konofalski, Bradley Bleck, Washington Federation of Teachers (pro); Clif Finch AWB