FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1547

                        PARTIAL VETO

                         C 327 L 95

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Pertaining to longshore and harbor workers' compensation.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance (originally sponsored by Representatives L. Thomas, Dellwo, Kessler, Dickerson, Basich and Costa).

House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance

Senate Committee on Financial Institutions & Housing

Background:   Federal law requires that employers of longshore and harbor workers  obtain workers' compensation coverage for their employees.  Longshore and harbor workers currently are not eligible for coverage under the Washington State Workers' Compensation Insurance Program.

The Legislature adopted a temporary insurance plan in 1992 to provide needed insurance for those employers unable to obtain coverage in the private market for their longshore and harbor workers.  This state plan, called the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers Assigned Risk Plan, was extended in 1993 for two years. Currently, under the plan, all insurers writing longshore and harbor workers' compensation insurance and the state Department of Labor and Industries' workers' compensation fund participate in underwriting the losses for this coverage.  Liability for plan losses is split equally between private insurers writing longshore and harbor workers' compensation insurance and the state workers' compensation fund.  Premiums are not paid to the state workers' compensation fund for this potential liability.  The state workers' compensation fund is authorized to reinsure the longshore and harbor workers' plan.

An advisory committee was established in 1992 to report annually on the plan and study alternatives to the plan.

The program is scheduled to expire July 1, 1995.

Summary:  The temporary Washington State assigned risk plan covering United States Longshore and Harbor Workers is extended for another two years and now is to expire on July 1, 1997.  The advisory committee is to report annually to the Legislature regarding the plan. 

Votes on Final Passage;

House     97 0

Senate    44 1 (Senate amended)

House         (House refused to concur)

Senate    40 0 (Senate receded)

Effective:  May 11, 1995

Partial Veto Summary:  The veto removes changes made to the duties of the advisory committee (the advisory committee is repealed in ESHB 1107).