5S-2182.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5965
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Schow, Horn, Anderson, Heavey and Franklin)
Read first time 03/05/97.
AN ACT Relating to agency ratings for industrial insurance; amending RCW 51.44.170; and amending 1990 c 204 s 1 (uncodified).
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 51.44.170 and 1991 sp.s. c 13 s 29 are each amended to read as follows:
The
industrial insurance premium refund account is created in the state treasury.
All industrial insurance refunds earned by state agencies or institutions of
higher education under the state fund retrospective rating program shall be
deposited into the account. ((Moneys in the account may be spent only after
appropriation.)) Only moneys earned through the retrospective rating
program are outside the biennial expenditure limitation imposed on agencies by
the legislature and must be available for expenditure by agencies through an
account not subject to the appropriation process. No agency or institution
of higher education may ((receive an appropriation)) make requests
for expenditures for an amount greater than the refund earned by the
agency. An expenditure request must be detailed and filed with the state
treasurer. Expenditure requests must be subject to periodic review by the
office of financial management. Expenditures from the account shall be
used to pay for any dedicated staff assigned to workers' compensation claims
management and may be used for any program within an agency or institution
of higher education((, but preference shall be given to programs)) that
promotes or provides incentives for employee workplace
safety and health and early, appropriate return-to-work for injured
employees.
Sec. 2. 1990 c 204 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
The legislature finds that workplace safety in state employment is of paramount importance in maintaining a productive and committed state work force. The legislature also finds that recognition in state agencies and institutions of higher education of industrial insurance programs that provide safe working environments and promote early return-to-work for injured employees will encourage agencies and institutions of higher education to develop these programs. A purpose of this act is to provide incentives for agencies and institutions of higher education to participate in industrial insurance safety programs and return-to-work programs by authorizing use of the industrial insurance premium refunds earned by agencies or institutions of higher education participating in industrial insurance retrospective rating programs. Since agency retrospective rating refunds are generated from safety performance and cannot be set at predictable levels determined by the budget process, the incentive awards should not impact, by a like amount, an agency's legislatively approved budget.
--- END ---