Z-1137.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6422
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Senators Schow, Heavey and Winsley; by request of Employment Security Department
Read first time 01/19/98. Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.
AN ACT Relating to support for collaborative efforts toward worker reemployment; amending RCW 50.12.190; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that jobseekers would be better served by integrating employment and training services to form a comprehensive network of state and local programs, called a one-stop career development system. Successful integration of employment and training services demands prompt and efficient exchange of information among service providers. Current restrictions on information exchange hamper this coordination, resulting in increased administrative costs, reduced levels of service, and fewer positive outcomes than could otherwise be achieved.
Sec. 2. RCW 50.12.190 and 1945 c 35 s 58 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The commissioner shall take all appropriate steps to reduce and prevent unemployment; to encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational training, retraining and vocational guidance; to investigate, recommend, advise, and assist in the establishment and operation by municipalities, counties, school districts, and the state, of reserves for public works to be used in times of business depression and unemployment; to promote the reemployment of unemployed workers throughout the state in every other way that may be feasible; and to these ends to carry and publish the results of investigations and research studies.
(2)(a) To promote the reemployment of jobseekers, the commissioner may enter into data-sharing contracts with partners of the one-stop career development system. The contracts shall provide for the exchange of data only to the extent that such exchange is necessary for the efficient provision of employment and training services to eligible individuals and the evaluation of outcomes. The exchange of information under contracts with one-stop partners is exempt from the requirements of RCW 50.13.060 (1) (a), (b), and (c), (5), and (6).
(b) Information provided to a partner by the department conditioned upon privacy and confidentiality will be held private and confidential according to the contract between the department and the partner.
(c) Persons requesting disclosure of information held by a partner under (a) of this subsection shall request the disclosure from the department rather than from the partner.
(d) This section supersedes any provisions of chapter 42.17 RCW to the contrary.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and the finding or determination does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
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