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               ENGROSSED SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8014

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State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Prentice, Winsley, Costa, Deccio, Thibaudeau, B. Sheldon, Fairley, Franklin, Shin, Rasmussen, Regala, Kastama, Patterson, Hochstatter, Gardner, Haugen, Honeyford, Constantine, Jacobsen, McAuliffe, Oke and Kohl‑Welles

Read first time 02/07/2001.  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions.

Requesting improvement to employment and training services for disabled persons. 

    TO THE COMMISSIONER OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SERVICES FOR THE BLIND, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY ISSUES AND EMPLOYMENT, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WORK FORCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The state has a strong interest in meeting the needs of businesses for skilled workers; and

    WHEREAS, The largest potential source of such workers within the state is the disability community, with a current unemployment rate of nearly seventy percent; and

    WHEREAS, The state has a strong interest in enhancing opportunities for disabled persons; and

    WHEREAS, Disabled persons are a priority population under the federal Workforce Investment Act; and

    WHEREAS, The state should encourage fair and equal employment and training opportunities for disabled persons;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists request that your offices work together to:

    (1) Identify effective employment and training services in the state's work source and education systems for people with disabilities;

    (2) Identify barriers to the delivery of effective services to people with disabilities;

    (3) Identify benchmarks and performance measures to be used in determining success in the provision of employment and training services for people with disabilities;

    (4) Provide training and technical assistance to local work force boards and their training and employment services partners to improve their outreach and delivery of services to people with disabilities;

    (5) Make recommendations to the legislature and the governor regarding any statutory or administrative changes necessary to improve the delivery of employment and training services to  people with disabilities; and

    (6) Report to the legislature and the governor annually on the outcomes of the efforts undertaken to improve the delivery of employment and training services to people with disabilities.  This may be accomplished by your offices providing the necessary information to the Executive Director of the Developmental Disabilities Council and the Executive Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, and by their compiling a report from the information and forwarding it to the legislature and the governor.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Commissioner of Employment Security, the Director of the Department of Services for the Blind, the Executive Director of the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Department of Social and Health Services, the Executive Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Executive Director of the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board.

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