5955-S AMH CL REIN 77

SSB 5955 - H COMM AMD

By Committee on Commerce & Labor

   On page 1, beginning on line 4, after "that the" strike "department of community, trade, and economic development has, through its" and insert "state has, through the"

   On page 1, line 10, after "in the" insert "employment security"

   On page 2, beginning on line 2, after "in the" strike "department of community, trade, and economic development" and insert "employment security department"

   On page 2, beginning on line 26, after "individual, the" strike "department of community, trade, and economic development" and insert "employment security department"

   On page 4, beginning on line 18, strike all of section 6 and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The employment security department shall, consistent with federal requirements and in cooperation with the work force training and education coordinating board and the state board for community and technical colleges, develop and submit a state plan for operating the personal reemployment account program authorized by this chapter. The department is authorized to seek private resources to assist in operating these programs."

   On page 4, after line 31, insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) A joint legislative work group is created to examine the reauthorization of the federal workforce investment act, including the development of a state plan on the personal reemployment account program, and to advise the legislature and the governor on implementation of this act in Washington.

   (2) The work group membership shall consist of:

   (a) One member from each caucus of the senate higher education committee, appointed by the president of the senate;

   (b) One member from each caucus of the senate commerce and trade committee, appointed by the president of the senate;

   (c) One member from each caucus of the house higher education committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

   (d) One member from each caucus of the house commerce and labor committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

   (e) The commissioner of the employment security department, or his or her designee;

   (f) The executive director of the state board for community and technical colleges, or his or her designee;

   (g) The executive director of the workforce training and education coordinating board, or his or her designee; and

   (h) Two members representing local workforce development councils, one from each side of the crest of the Cascade mountains, appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives;

   (3) The employment security department, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board shall cooperate with the work group and provide such technical expertise as the work group chair may reasonably require.

   (4) The work group shall choose its chair from among its membership.

   (5) The work group shall examine at least the following issues:

   (a) The state plan for implementation of a personal reemployment account program, including eligibility criteria and spending safeguards;

   (b) The membership requirements and role of the state workforce development council;

   (c) The membership requirements, role, and planning responsibilities of the local workforce development councils;

   (d) The scope of services provided to unemployed and low-wage workers and employers by local workforce development councils;

   (e) The formulas used to distribute infrastructure funding, adult services funding, and out-of-school youth program funding to local workforce development councils;

   (f) The methods used to target delivery of core, intensive and training services to unemployed workers and low-income individuals;

   (g) The standards used to qualify training providers; and

   (h) Performance measures used to evaluate program success at the state and local levels.

   (6) The work group shall use legislative facilities and staff from senate committee services and the office of program research. Legislative members of the work group shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and RCW 43.03.060, such reimbursement to be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives.

   (7) The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the legislature and the governor by December 1, 2003."

   Renumber the remaining sections consecutively, and correct any cross-references accordingly.

   On page 5, line 6, after "Title" strike "43" and insert "50"

   Correct the title.

   EFFECT:

Requires that the personal reemployment account program be established within the Employment Security Department, rather than the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

Establishes a legislative work group to: (1) examine the reauthorization of the federal Workforce Investment Act, including the development of a state plan on the personal reemployment account program; and (2) advise the Legislature and the Governor on implementation of the Act.

Specifies the membership of the work group, and the issues to be examined by the work group.

Requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor by December 1, 2003. Sets an expiration date for the work group of April 1, 2004.