SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 5330

BYSenate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Garrett, Johnson, Peterson, Tanner, Warnke, Williams and Kiskaddon; by request of Joint Select Committee on Disability Employment and Economic Participation)

Establishing the disability accommodation revolving fund.

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 29, 1987; February 2, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5330 be substituted therefor, and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Warnke, Chairman; Smitherman, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Cantu, Lee, Sellar, Tanner, Vognild, West, Williams, Wojahn.

Senate Staff:Jack Brummel (786-7428)

                  February 3, 1987

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 25, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5330 as recommended by Committee on Commerce & Labor be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bluechel, Craswell, Deccio, Fleming, Hayner, Lee, McDonald, Moore, Owen, Rasmussen, Talmadge, Vognild, Williams, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Charles Langen (786-7715)

                  March 10, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 9, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Job site changes and equipment purchases are often necessary to accommodate persons of disability in their employment.  The Joint Select Committee on Disability Employment and Economic Participation has suggested that an accommodation fund would relieve state agencies of unanticipated accommodation expenses not possible to forecast in the biennial budget planning process and remove a potential barrier to employment of persons of disability.

SUMMARY:

The disability accommodation revolving fund is created in the custody of the State Treasurer for exclusive use by state agencies to accommodate the unanticipated job site or equipment needs of persons of disability in state employ.  An advisory review board appointed by the Director of the Department of Personnel will establish criteria for use of the fund and provide assistance to applicants and users of the fund.  The Director of the Department of Personnel authorizes disbursement from the fund.

Moneys received from the fund will be returned to the fund by the agencies at the beginning of the following fiscal biennium.

Appropriation:    $200,000

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: COMMERCE & LABOR:  Senator Garrett; Representative Cole; Les Treece-Sinclair, Governor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped; Paul Dziedzic, Department of Services for the Blind; Russel Scott, Department of Personnel; Paul Wysocki, member, Joint Select Committee DEEP

Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS:  Paul Dziedzic, Department of Services for the Blind; Bob Thurston, Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment