SENATE BILL REPORT

E2SSB 5441

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators DeJarnatt, Lee, Warnke, Smitherman, Newhouse, Tanner, McDonald and Rasmussen; by request of Joint Select Committee on Unemployment Compensation and Insurance)

Authorizing establishment of local reemployment centers.

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 3, 1987; February 9, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5441 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Warnke, Chairman; Smitherman, Vice Chairman; Lee, Tanner, Vognild, Williams, Wojahn.

Senate Staff:Mark McDermott (786-7429)

                  February 9, 1987

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 2, 1987

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5441 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Deccio, Kreidler, Rinehart, Saling, Talmadge, Vognild, Warnke, Wojahn, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Stephen Rose (786-7443)

                  April 16, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The number of unemployment compensation exhaustees in the state more than doubled between 1979 and 1985.  Many of the long term unemployed have multiple emotional, medical, financial and family problems associated with their unemployment.  These problems seriously undermine the ability of many of the unemployed to conduct a vigorous sustained work search.

Many communities in the state have inadequate and poorly coordinated resources and services to aid the unemployed.  Many service programs address the immediate problems without attempting to assess the connection between an individual's unemployment and associated problems.

SUMMARY:

Employment Security shall establish a local reemployment center within each office.  Each center shall provide information regarding the following services available within the service area:  (1) reemployment assistance; (2) medical services; (3) social services including marital counseling; (4) psychotherapy; (5) mortgage foreclosure and utility problem counseling; (6) drug and alcohol abuse services; (7) credit counseling; and (8) other services as deemed appropriate.

Employment Security shall develop and distribute pamphlets which list the providers of these services within the service area.

The Departments of Social and Health Services and Employment Security shall submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor prior to the start of the 1989 legislative session.  The report shall assess the effectiveness of the services provided by the local reemployment centers.

Appropriation:    $40,000 to fund the local reemployment centers.

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: COMMERCE & LABOR:  Dr. Kathy Briar, UW School of Social Work; Tom Croft, Seattle Worker Center

Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS:  No one

HOUSE AMENDMENT: 

The Department of Community Development shall issue requests for proposals to nonprofit agencies and local government agencies to serve as local reemployment centers.  There shall be three reemployment centers:  one in western Washington, one in eastern Washington and one in King County.

The local reemployment center shall provide direct and referral services to the unemployed.  These services may include reemployment assistance, medical services, social services including marital counseling, psychotherapy, mortgage foreclosure and utility problem counseling, drug and alcohol abuse, credit counseling and other services as deemed appropriate. These services are designed to supplement but not supplant the on-going efforts of the local job service centers run by the Employment Security Department.

The Employment Security Department and the Department of Social and Health Services shall locate worker(s) at each center.  The confidentiality of client-provider relations shall be maintained in all reports to the Department of Community Development.

A report which assesses the effectiveness of the reemployment center shall be presented to the Legislature and Governor prior to the start of the 1989 session.

The Employment Security Department is required to implement a reemployment bonus demonstration project to provide reemployment incentives to qualified unemployment compensation claimants if federal or private funding is available.  The project shall provide lump sum payments to claimants if they return to work with Department established time limits and remain employed for four months.

The Department shall submit a report to the Governor and the Senate and House Commerce and Labor Committees regarding the effectiveness of the project.

The project shall cease on June 30, 1989 unless extended by law for a fixed period of time.