Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Trade & Economic Development

HB 1431

Brief Description:  Establishing the Washington jobs initiative program.

Sponsors:  Representatives Veloria, Dunn, Hunt, Tokuda, Ogden, Boldt, O'Brien, D. Schmidt, Santos, Hurst, Fromhold and Conway.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Establishes the Washington Jobs Initiative Program to provide grants to local governments for creating local programs designed to help residents achieve and retain livable wage jobs and supply regional employers with qualified workers.

$Appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund in fiscal year 2001 and $500,000 from the General Fund in fiscal year 2002.

$The Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development is responsible for the administration of the program.

Hearing Date:  2/8/01

Staff:  Kenny Pittman (786‑7392).

Background: 

The state of Washington has developed various programs and incentives to assist in the training or retraining of people who are in the workforce as well as those who are trying to enter the workforce.  Some of these programs seek to help low-income job seekers access and retain livable-wage jobs and, at the same time, help regional employers with access to the qualified, job ready workers they need to improve their competitiveness.

Summary of Bill: 

The Washington Jobs Initiative (WJI) Program is established in the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (DCTED).  The DCTED may provide grants to local governments for the purpose of creating local programs designed to help workers achieve livable-wage jobs, and promote retention and upward mobility for low-income job seekers.

The WJI grants must be used to develop strategies that (1) assist unemployed and underemployed residents obtain livable-wage jobs; (2) help low-income residents access job opportunities with businesses that benefit local economic development efforts by establishing first-source and voluntary hiring agreements with those businesses; (3) create long-term, intensive pathways to employment for residents that are harder to serve due to chronic unemployment or lack of work experience; and (4) coordinate the services of the public and private sector and community organizations in providing outreach, recruitment, and job readiness services.

The DCTED must establish rules to implement the program, including performance evaluation standards and guidelines regarding the amount of funds to be awarded to local governments.

Appropriation:  The sum of $500,000 from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002.  $500,000 from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 2, 2002.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.