H-1858.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 1978

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Goldsmith, Kremen, Fuhrman, Schoesler, Pelesky, Thompson, Casada and Silver

Read first time 02/20/95.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Revising industrial insurance coverage for student volunteers.

     AN ACT Relating to industrial insurance coverage for student volunteers; amending RCW 51.12.170; and declaring an emergency.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 51.12.170 and 1994 c 246 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) An employer covered under this title may elect to include student volunteers as employees or workers for all purposes relating to medical aid benefits under chapter 51.36 RCW.  The employer shall give notice of its intent to cover all of its student volunteers to the director prior to the occurrence of the injury or contraction of an occupational disease.

     (2) A student volunteer is an enrolled student in a public school as defined in RCW 28A.150.010 or a private school approved under RCW 28A.195.010 who is participating as a volunteer under a program authorized by the ((public)) school pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education providing for school credit for work experience.  The student volunteer shall perform duties for the employer without wages.  The student volunteer shall be deemed to be a volunteer even if the student is granted maintenance and reimbursement for actual expenses necessarily incurred in performing his or her assigned or authorized duties.  A person who earns wages for the services performed is not a student volunteer.

     (3) Any and all premiums or assessments due under this title on account of service by a student volunteer shall be paid by the employer who has registered and accepted the services of volunteers and has exercised its option to secure the medical aid benefits under chapter 51.36 RCW for the student volunteers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

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