SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2507
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Government Operations & Elections, February 20, 2004
Title: An act relating to the recoupment of county and city employee salary and wage overpayments.
Brief Description: Providing for the recoupment of county and city employee salary and wage overpayments.
Sponsors: House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Conway, Bush, Morrell, Campbell, Chase and Moeller).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/20/04 [DP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Berkey, Horn, Kastama and McCaslin.
Staff: Mac Nicholson (786-7445)
Background: Generally, an employer must bring a civil action against an employee to collect overpayments of wages made to the employee. Legislation enacted in 2003 authorized the state, as an employer, to recover overpayments of wages to an employee either by making deductions from subsequent payments of wages to the employee or by civil action. Deductions are limited to 5 percent of the employee's disposable earnings per pay period, except that they may be for the full amount still outstanding in the final pay period. Deductions may be made only in accordance with a specified process for reviewing and recovering overpayments of wages.
Summary of Bill: Counties and cities, as employers, are authorized to recover overpayments of wages to an employee in the same manner as the state. Disputes relating to overpayments to state, county, and city employees covered by collective bargaining agreements must be resolved using the grievance procedures in such agreements.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Counties and cities just want the same power as the state when it comes to recovering overpayments of employee wages.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: George Walk, Pierce County.