SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1832

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Commerce & Trade, February 27, 2003

Title: An act relating to correcting rate class 16 in schedule B by amending RCW 50.29.025 and making no other changes.

Brief Description: Correcting rate class 16 in schedule B by amending RCW 50.29.025 and making no other changes.

Sponsors: House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Conway, Chandler, Wood, Kenney and Condotta; by request of Employment Security Department).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Commerce & Trade: 2/27/03 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & TRADE

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Honeyford, Chair; Hewitt, Vice Chair; Franklin, Keiser and Mulliken.

Staff: Elizabeth Mitchell (786-7430)

Background: Employer contribution rates for the unemployment compensation fund are set in statute, and divided into various levels, called "schedules." Within each schedule, there are different rate classes of employers. A clerical error exists in rate class 16 within Schedule B.

EHB 2901, which corrected this clerical error, was enacted into law in 2002. However, most of the tax provisions contained in EHB 2901 were referred to the people in Referendum Measure 53 and were not approved in the November 2002 elections. As a result, the correction in rate class 16 did not take effect.

Summary of Bill: The clerical error in rate class 16 in Schedule B of employer contribution rates is corrected from 3.69 to 3.42 for rate years beginning on or after January 1, 2003.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: No one.