CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5965

 

 

 

 

                        55th Legislature

                      1997 Regular Session

Passed by the Senate April 21, 1997

  YEAS 46   NAYS 0

 

 

 

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 10, 1997

  YEAS 98   NAYS 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Mike O=Connell, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is  SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5965 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

                            Secretary

 

 

Approved Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.  

                                FILED

          

 

 

Governor of the State of Washington

                   Secretary of State

                  State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5965

          _______________________________________________

 

                      AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

             Passed Legislature - 1997 Regular Session

 

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.

  Providing for changes in agency experience ratings for industrial insurance.  


    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 custody of the state((treasury)) treasurer.  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)) The account is subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures from the account.  Only the executive head of the agency or institution of higher education, or designee, may authorize expenditures from the account.  No agency or institution of higher education may ((receive an appropriation)) make an expenditure from the account for an amount greater than the refund earned by the agency.  If the agency or institution of higher education has staff dedicated to workers' compensation claims management, expenditures from the account must be used to pay for that staff, but  additional  expenditure from the account 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 and institution of higher education 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 an agency's or institution of higher education's legislatively approved budget.

 


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