Z-0513.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5152

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Prince, Bauer, Wojahn, Horn, Oke and Winsley; by request of Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee

Read first time 01/16/97.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Allowing the department of social and health services access to employment security department data on clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program.

    AN ACT Relating to allowing the department of social and health services access to employment security department data on clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program; adding a new section to chapter 50.13 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  It is the intent of the legislature to allow the department of social and health services access to employment security department confidential employer wage files, for statistical analysis and the evaluation of work force participation of clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program.  This information is needed to monitor and evaluate welfare client outcomes in employment and to fulfill agency performance outcome measures for its welfare program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 50.13 RCW to read as follows:

    The employment security department shall provide to department of social and health services confidential employer wage information for clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program whose names and social security numbers have been provided under section 3(1) of this act.  The information may be used only for statistical analysis and welfare program evaluation purposes as provided in section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department shall annually provide the employment security department with the names and social security numbers of all clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program.

    (2) The information provided by the employment security department under section 2 of this act for statistical analysis and welfare program evaluation purposes may be used only to measure the work force participation of clients in the job opportunities and basic skills training program and any subsequent state welfare program. Through individual matches with accessed employment security department confidential employer wage files, the department of social and health services shall report only aggregate, statistical, group level data.

    (3) The department shall protect the privacy of confidential personal data supplied under section 2 of this act consistent with federal law, chapter 50.13 RCW, and the terms and conditions of a formal data-sharing agreement between the two departments.  The misuse or unauthorized use of confidential data supplied by the employment security department is subject to the penalties in RCW 50.13.080.

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