S-3808.2  _______________________________________________

                 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8427

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Pelz, Deccio, Heavey, Newhouse, Fraser, Hale, Franklin, Haugen and McAuliffe

Read first time 01/15/96.  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Trade.

Creating a Joint Task Force on Vocational Rehabilitation and Training.

    WHEREAS, The Department of Labor and Industries is responsible for the protection of workers and, when injured, their rehabilitation and reemployment; and

    WHEREAS, Over forty-five million dollars is spent annually by the Department of Labor and Industries for vocational rehabilitation services; and

    WHEREAS, Approximately ten thousand workers in the state are actively involved in rehabilitation at any time; and

    WHEREAS, The 1995 report of the Legislative Task Force on unemployment emphasized the need for a comprehensive and effective state strategy to assist workers in their efforts to reenter the work force; and

    WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of workers, employers, and the state to improve the skill level of workers and maximize the use of the state's training system;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the State of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That a Joint Task Force on Vocational Rehabilitation and Training be hereby created.  The task force shall undertake a comprehensive review of the vocational rehabilitation, employment, and training programs within the Department of Labor and Industries, examine the potential for better integration of the programs into the state's work force development efforts, and develop such findings and recommendations to the legislature as the task force deems appropriate; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That:

    (1) The task force shall have voting members to be appointed as follows:

    (a) Four members of the Senate, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and

    (b) Four members of the House of Representatives, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

    (2) The task force shall have cochairs, one to be selected from among the voting members by the majority caucus of the Senate and one to be selected from among the voting members by the majority caucus of the House of Representatives;

    (3) The task force shall have nonvoting advisory members to be appointed by the cochairs as follows:

    (a) Two representatives of business;

    (b) Two representatives of labor; and

    (c) One representative of vocational rehabilitation counselors; and

    (4) The department of labor and industries shall cooperate with the task force and provide information and assistance as the cochairs deem appropriate; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall use legislative staff and facilities, but may hire additional staff with specific technical expertise if such expertise is necessary to carry out the mandates of this resolution.  The members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.  All expenses of the task force, including travel, shall be paid jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall report any preliminary findings and recommendations it makes to the legislature by January 15, 1997, and shall report any final findings and recommendations it makes to the legislature by December 1, 1997; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the task force shall expire April 1, 1998.

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