SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6299

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Elections, February 5, 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: Senators Winsley, Kastama, Oke, Regala, Roach and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/3/04, 2/5/04 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Stevens, Vice Chair; Berkey, Horn, Kastama and McCaslin.

Staff: Mac Nicholson (786-7445)

Background: 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.

State employees may authorize deductions from their salaries or wages for certain purposes including direct deposits to banks and credit unions, payments toward parking fees, U.S. savings bonds, employee organization dues, health insurance contributions, and Combined Fund Drive contributions.

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. County and city employees may authorize deductions from their salaries or wages for the same purposes as state employees.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This is really just a "me too" bill that allows cities, counties, and other municipal corporations as employers to recover overpayments made to employees.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Michael Shaw, Pierce County.