BILL REQ. #:  H-0914.3 

Read first time 02/16/2005.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     AN ACT Relating to the payment of industrial insurance premiums on construction work; and adding a new section to chapter 51.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 51.12 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, construction work performed by any natural person under contract is employment included within the mandatory coverage of this title, and the person performing the construction work shall be deemed to be a worker while performing this work.
     (2) Premiums on construction work included within the mandatory coverage of this title by this section shall be the responsibility of the holder of the registration under chapter 18.27 RCW or the license under chapter 19.28 RCW under which the work is performed. If the work is performed without a registration or license, the premiums on the work shall be the responsibility of the person contracting for the work. Persons responsible for premiums under this section shall be considered the employer of the person performing the construction work for the purposes of this title.
     (3)(a) For the purposes of this section, "construction work" means manual labor that is:
     (i) The work of a contractor, as defined in RCW 18.27.010, performed under circumstances requiring registration under chapter 18.27 RCW; or
     (ii) The work of installing wires or equipment to convey electrical current or installing apparatus to be operated by such current as it pertains to the electrical industry, as described in chapter 19.28 RCW, performed under circumstances requiring licensing under chapter 19.28 RCW.
     (b) For the purposes of this section, "construction work" does not include administrative, clerical, or other work of a similar nature and does not include the work of directly supervising others performing construction work.