BILL REQ. #: S-5153.1

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SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6145
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State of Washington

59th Legislature

2006 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Keiser, Zarelli, Franklin, Esser, Doumit, Benson, Pridemore, Roach, Poulsen, Schmidt, Kohl-Welles, Fairley, Kline, Weinstein, Berkey, Rasmussen and Benton)

READ FIRST TIME 02/7/06.

AN ACT Relating to parity for home care agency workers; adding a new section to chapter 74.39A RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 74.39A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall create a formula that converts the cost of the increase in wages and benefits negotiated and funded in the contract for individual providers of home care services pursuant to RCW 74.39A.270 and 74.39A.300, into a per-hour amount, excluding those benefits defined in subsection (2) of this section. That per-hour amount shall be added to the statewide home care agency vendor rate and shall be used exclusively for improving the wages and benefits of home care agency workers who provide direct care. The formula shall account for:
     (a) All types of wages, benefits, and compensation negotiated and funded each biennium, including but not limited to:
     (i) Regular wages;
     (ii) Benefit pay, such as vacation, sick, and holiday pay;
     (iii) Taxes on wages/benefit pay; and
     (iv) Mileage; and
     (b) The increase in the average cost of worker's compensation for home care agencies and application of the increases identified in (a) of this subsection to all hours required to be paid, including travel time, of direct service workers under the wage and hour laws and associated employer taxes.
     (2) The contribution rate paid by the department to home care agencies for health care benefits for eligible agency home care workers shall be sufficient to purchase a comparable package of medical, dental, vision, and other health care benefits as negotiated and funded in the collective bargaining agreement for individual providers of home care services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, the per-hour amount added to the home care agency vendor rate pursuant to section 1(1)(a) of this act shall be limited to the cost of: (1) A $0.02 per-hour increase in wages, plus the employer share of unemployment and social security taxes on the amount of the increase; and (2) the cost of annual leave benefits negotiated and funded for individual providers of home care services. This section expires June 30, 2007.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act takes effect July 1, 2006.

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