Brief Description: Providing unemployment and industrial insurance notices to employers.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development (originally sponsored by Senators Honeyford, Clements, Kohl-Welles and Roach).

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development
House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: In 1997, the Legislature created the Business License Center, within the Department of Licensing, to provide a single location where businesses may apply for a master license.

Currently, an employer may file for a master application in person, or on-line. The employer is required to check a box on the form if he or she will be hiring employees. Checking this box triggers a notice to the Departments of Labor and Industries (L&I) and Employment Security (ESD) to open an account for the employer, as well as send a packet of information on unemployment insurance tax and industrial insurance tax.

Summary: When an employer registers to pay unemployment taxes, the ESD is required to send to the employer any printed material the department requires the employer to post.

When an employer registers to pay industrial insurance taxes, L&I is required to send to the employer any printed material the department requires the employer to post.

Both L&I and ESD are required to send a copy to each employer anytime the printed material is substantively changed.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      46   0
House      95   0   (House amended)
Senate      48   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007