H-2322              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1155

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Vekich, Schoon, Kremen, P. King and Basich)

Read first time 3/6/87 and passed to Committee on Rules. Reintroduced 1/11/88 and referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development 1/22/88.

AN ACT Relating to reducing underemployment in the state economy; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes that the sudden and severe shifts in the economic base of the state's communities, industries, and employment base have led to certain changes in employment practices in the state which have reduced the quality of life of employed citizens.  The growth in part- time employment and casual employment has increased the flexibility of employers in the state in regard to hiring and employment practices, but has resulted in situations in which part-time and temporary employees must respond to employer requirements in regard to terms and hours of employment which are unreasonable or capricious.  The increase in part-time and temporary employment in the state, and the continued economic hardships experienced in the state's distressed areas, result in the need for the state to study the problems associated with underemployment and possible legislative responses to them.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The department of employment security shall undertake a study of underemployment in the state and of the policy issues associated with it.  The study shall include an examination of:

          (a) The extent and seriousness of underemployment;

          (b) Methods for regulating employment practices that may control abuses;

          (c) Statutory responses to these issues in other states; and

          (d) Recommended legislative responses to issues of underemployment; and

          (e) The underemployment of ethnic minorities in the workplace, including underemployment for Black Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans.

          (2) The study shall utilize the expertise of the labor market and economic analysis unit and the unemployment program analysis unit of the department of employment security.

          (3) The department of employment security shall cooperate in the performance of this study with the department of trade and economic development, the department of community development, the state economic development board, and other relevant state agencies and programs.

          (4) The department of employment security is authorized to undertake portions of this study through contracts with private firms.  Such contracts shall be undertaken in accordance with the competitive bidding process authorized in chapter 43.19 RCW.  No more than fifty percent of the study may be undertaken through such contracts.

          (5) The department of employment security shall report the findings of this study to the legislature no later than January 1, 1988.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the department of employment security for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.