BILL REQ. #:  S-3816.1 

Read first time 01/21/14.   Referred to Committee on Health Care .

     AN ACT Relating to establishing the state of Washington committing to employ people with disabilities at the same percentage as in the general population; and adding a new chapter to Title 71A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   This act may be known and cited as the state employment disability parity act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The legislature finds that:
     (1) People with disabilities occur at seven percent of the state population;
     (2) People with disabilities suffer significantly higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than the general population;
     (3) State government has no means of developing or priority hiring for people with disabilities comparable to schedule A in the federal civil service system;
     (4) State government human resource managers do not coordinate with the department of social and health services division of vocational rehabilitation in matters of disability employment opportunities; and
     (5) Representation of people with disabilities in the state workforce has been declining in recent years.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) By January 31st of each year, every state agency employing thirty people or more shall submit a report to the department of personnel. Copies must be sent to the director of the division of vocational rehabilitation and the governor's committee on disability issues and employment.
     (2) The report must contain the following elements:
     (a) Number of employees as of January 1st and December 31st of that year;
     (b) Number of employees who would be classified priority 1 disabled by the division of vocational rehabilitation as of January 1st and December 31st of that year;
     (c) Number of employees that separated from the state agency;
     (d) Number of employees that were hired by the state agency;
     (e) Number of employees that were hired from a division of vocational rehabilitation program;
     (f) Planned hires for the coming year;
     (g) Opportunities to design an entry-level position for a division of vocational rehabilitation client placement;
     (h) Opportunities for nonpaid or paid internships for a division of vocational rehabilitation client placement leading to an entry-level position placement upon successful completion.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) By January 31st of each year the division of vocational rehabilitation shall submit a report to the department of personnel. A copy must be sent to the governor's committee on disabilities issues and employment.
     (2) This report must contain the following elements:
     (a) Number of clients that obtained jobs in the private sector;
     (b) Number of clients that obtained jobs in state government;
     (c) Number of clients that obtained jobs for each major state agency; and
     (d) Local government job placements.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) New hires by all state agencies must equal five percent of all placements by the division of vocational rehabilitation.
     (2) Agencies that show no good faith efforts to hire division of vocational rehabilitation clients must have their budgets cut by five percent the following year.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 71A RCW.