Title: An act relating to paydates for employees participating in state active military duty.

Brief Description: Concerning paydates for employees participating in state active military duty.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Hurst, McCoy, VanDeWege, Morrell, Campbell and Roach).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/15/08, 94-0.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/28/08 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Oemig, Vice Chair; Roach, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Kline and Pridemore.

Staff: Cindy Calderon (786-7784)

Background: Washington state officers and employees are paid semi-monthly. The first pay period is from the first to the fifteenth of the month. The second pay period is from the sixteenth through the last calendar day of the month. Actual pay dates cannot be later than ten days following the close of each pay period. If the payday falls on a Sunday, the pay date is the following Monday.

The Washington State Guard (WSG) is an all-volunteer unit. The WSG serves under the Governor, serves under state jurisdiction, and cannot be called to serve as an element of the federal armed forces. Washington State Guard members receive pay as state employees when the Governor calls them to State Active Duty. The WSG is separate from the National Guard (NG).

The NG has dual missions: a federal mission and a state mission. The NG is a reserve component of the Armed Forces. Functioning as a federal mission, NG members can be ordered to active duty or full-time NG duty to organize and train, and augment federal military operations. Functioning as a state mission, the NG supports the goals of the Governor and is acting in a state capacity as state employees.

Summary of Bill: National Guard and Washington State Guard members who are called to participate in state active duty must be paid: no later than seven days after the duty has ended; or no later than seven days after the end of the pay period. The trigger point for the seven days is determined by which event occurs first. This only applies to pay received from the Military Department for state active duty.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Substitute Bill: PRO: This is an important bill for Guard members because it will ensure they are paid quickly after performing their duty. Guard members are involuntarily called to duty and are impacted; they might not receive leave benefits from their other employment and there are delays in receiving their checks. This bill will provide for minimal disruption to their income during the process of transitioning payrolls between their job and the Guard.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Hurst, prime sponsor; John Carpenter, National Guard Association of Washington; Laura Vandermeer, Military Department.