5971 AMS KEIS BUCH 005

SB 5971 - S AMD 192

By Senators Keiser and Winsley

3/14/03 ADOPTED

On page 2, after "Sec. 3. " on line 29, insert the following:

"RCW 50.62.020 and 1987 c 284 sec 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Job service" means the employment assistance program of the employment security department;

(2) "Employment assistance" means services to unemployed persons focused on and measured by the obtaining of employment;

(3) "Labor exchange" means those activities which match labor supply and labor demand, including recruitment, screening, and referral of qualified workers to employers;

(4) "Special account of the administrative contingency fund" means that fund under RCW 50.24.014 established within the administrative contingency fund of the employment security department which provides revenue for the purposes of this chapter.

(5) "Continuous wage and benefit history" means an information and research system utilizing a longitudinal data base containing information on both employment and unemployment.

(6) "Long-term unemployed" means demographic groups of unemployment insurance claimants identified by the employment security department pursuant to RCW 50.62.040(1)(e) which have the highest percentages of persons who have drawn at least fifteen weeks of unemployment insurance benefits or have the highest percentage of persons who have exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits.

(7) "Older unemployed workers" means unemployment insurance claimants who are at least fifty years of age.

(8) "Unemployed Fircrest workers" are those persons employed at the Fircrest school whose jobs were eliminated by the closure of Fircrest school.

Sec 4. RCW 50.62.030 and 1995 c 135 sec 4 are each amended to read as follows:

Job service resources shall be used to assist with the reemployment of unemployed workers using the most efficient and effective means of service delivery. The job service program of the employment security department may undertake any program or activity for which funds are available and which furthers the goals of this chapter. These programs and activities shall include, but are not limited to:

(1) Giving unemployed Fircrest workers, older unemployed workers and the long-term unemployed the highest priority for all services made available under this section. The employment security department shall make the services provided under this chapter available to the unemployed Fircrest workers, older unemployed workers and the long-term unemployed as soon as they register under the employment assistance program;

(2) Supplementing basic employment services, with special job search and claimant placement assistance designed to assist unemployment insurance claimants to obtain employment;

(3) Providing employment services, such as recruitment, screening, and referral of qualified workers, to agricultural areas where these services have in the past contributed to positive economic conditions for the agricultural industry; and

(4) Providing otherwise unobtainable information and analysis to the legislature and program managers about issues related to employment and unemployment.

Sec. 5. RCW 50.04.075 and 1984 c 181 sec. 1 are each amended to read as follows:

"Dislocated worker" means any individual who:

(1) Has been terminated or received a notice of termination from employment;

(2) Is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement to unemployment compensation benefits; and

(3) Is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for their skills in that occupation or industry or is an employee at Fircrest school whose job was terminated by the closure of Fircrest school."

Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

SB 5971 - S AMD

By Senator ....

On page 1, on line 2 of the title, after "28A.190.020;", insert "50.04.075; 50.62.020; 50.62.030;".

EFFECT: Provides special unemployment assistance to Fircrest school workers and amends "dislocated worker" statute to include Fircrest workers.