6828 AMH  FRAS 50

SB 6828 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-4864.3/02) Failed 3-12-02 0556

By Representative ___

     On page 1, line 7 of the amendment, strike all material through page 9, line 19, and insert the following:

     "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  INTENT.  The legislature recognizes that home care workers perform services that are vital to the health, the well-being and the independence of our elderly and disabled residents.  The people in need of home care services are our parents, our neighbors and our friends.  The legislature further recognizes that the home care workers who perform these critical services earn an hourly rate that is not, by any calculation, a living wage, and that there is incredible turnover in home care given this wage and the difficulty of this work.  The legislature recognizes that it will have to make hard budget choices in the current recession, but declares that increasing home care wages should be one of those choices.  The legislature therefore declares a need to make available, from a revenue source intended to improve the quality of health care for our citizens, the means by which to provide an increase in the wages of home care workers."

     Renumber remaining sections consecutively and correct title and internal references accordingly.

     On page 9, of the amendment, strike all material on lines 26 and 27  and insert "."

     On page 9, line 31 of the amendment, after "RCW 43.72.900," insert "to the general fund for purposes of section 3 of this act,"

     On page 10, after line 7, insert the following:

     "NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. (1) By June 30, 2002, the state treasurer shall transfer the sum of eleven million two-hundred ninety-eight thousand dollars from the tobacco settlement account to the general fund--state. 

     (2) The sum of three million four hundred ninety-four thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund--state for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, and the sum of three million two hundred eighteen thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund--federal for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 2003, to the division of developmental disabilities within the department of social and health services solely for purposes of this section.

     (3)  The sum of seven million eight hundred and four thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund--state for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, and the sum of seven million eight hundred and fifty-three thousand dollars is appropriated from the general fund--federal to the aging and adult services administration within the department of social and health services solely for purposes of this section.

     (4)  The appropriations in this section are provided solely for the purposes of providing an additional fifty-cent per-hour increase in the hourly wage of home care workers receiving wages approrpriated under sections 205(1) and 206(11) of chapter 7, laws of 2001."

     Renumber remaining sections consecutively and correct title and internal references accordingly.

EFFECT:  Removes the provisions authorizing issuance of bonds and sale of a portion of the state's revenues from the tobacco settlement.  Makes appropriations from the general fund--state and general fund--federal to fund an additional fifty cent per hour increase in the hourly wages of home care workers funded by the state.  Directs the Treasurer to transfer moneys from the Tobacco Settlement Account to fund the general fund--state portion of the appropriation.