S-4073.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6217

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Senators Newhouse, Vognild, Moore, Amondson, Prentice, Sutherland, Fraser, McAuliffe and Winsley

Read first time 01/17/94.  Referred to Committee on Labor & Commerce.

Requiring the joint task force on unemployment insurance to study additional issues.

    AN ACT Relating to the joint task force on unemployment insurance; and amending 1993 c 483 s 22 (uncodified).

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

    Sec. 1.  1993 c 483 s 22 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

    (1) There is hereby created a joint task force on unemployment insurance composed of the following members:

    (a) Four members of the senate labor and commerce committee, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the president of the senate;

    (b) Four members of the house of representatives commerce and labor committee, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and

    (c) Up to eight members appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives representing business and labor in equal numbers.  The business representatives shall be selected from nominations submitted by state-wide business organizations representing a cross-section of industries.  The labor representatives shall be selected from nominations submitted by state-wide labor organizations representing a cross-section of industries.

    (2) The employment security department unemployment insurance advisory committee shall act as an advisory body to the task force.

    (3) The senate committee services and the office of program research shall provide the staff support as mutually agreed by the cochairs of the task force.  The task force shall designate the cochairs.

    (4) The members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.  Task force travel and other expenses shall be paid from funds provided under RCW 50.24.014.

    (5) The task force shall study the following issues:  

    (a) ((Financing and administration of unemployment insurance;

    (b) Social costs;

    (c) Administrative costs;

    (d) Experience rating systems;

    (e) Tax rates;

    (f) Trust fund adequacy;

    (g) Accountability and administrative funding of employment security department programs; and

    (h))) Undertake an in-depth review of issues identified in the 1993 task force report to the legislature;

(b) Work collaboratively with the employment security department in implementation of task force recommendations;

(c) Assist the employment security department in responding to federal initiative and economic change, including the federally mandated new claimant profile program; and

(d) Any other issues deemed appropriate by the task force.

    (6) The task force shall report its findings to the legislature by December 31, ((1993)) 1994.

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