4221 AMH HOLJ HALL 079

HJR 4221 - H AMD 953

By Representative Holmquist

   On page 1, after line 7, strike all material through page 2, line 2 and insert the following:

   "Article II, section 29. ((After the first day of January eighteen hundred and ninety the labor of convicts of this state shall not be let out by contract to any person, copartnership, company or corporation, and))The legislature shall by law provide for the working of ((convicts)) inmates or juvenile offenders for the benefit of the state, including the working of inmates in state-run inmate labor programs or juvenile offenders in juvenile rehabilitation administration programs. The state may let out the labor of inmates or juvenile offenders by contract to a person, copartnership, company or corporation so long as all contracted inmate or juvenile offender labor is compensated and voluntary, and complies with all state and federal laws. The state shall not contract out inmate or juvenile offender labor for involuntary servitude. Inmate and juvenile offender labor programs provided by statute that are operated and managed, in total or in part, by any profit or nonprofit entities shall be operated so that the programs do not unfairly compete with Washington businesses as determined by law and shall meet applicable worker safety requirements for comparable noninmate or juvenile labor."

EFFECT: Clarifies that inmate and juvenile offender labor may be let out for contract and includes juvenile offender programs in the labor programs that may be let out by contract to a person, copartnership, company, or corporation so long as the labor is compensated, voluntary, complies with all state and federal laws, and the jobs meet applicable worker safety requirements.