H-1702              _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 910

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Cole, Wang, C. Smith, Doty, Silver, R. King and P. King; by request of Joint Select Committee on Unemployment Compensation and Insurance

Read first time 2/13/87 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to studies of public assistance recipients; adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds and declares that:

          (1) The single-parent aid to families with dependent children (AFDC-R) caseload has risen by forty-eight percent between 1979 and 1986, while the state's population grew only ten percent;

          (2) The two-parent aid to families with dependent children (AFDC-E) caseload has risen by seventy percent between 1979 and 1986;

          (3) The public assistance caseloads have continued to rise despite a substantial drop in the state's unemployment rate;

          (4) The rise in public assistance caseloads is placing an ever-growing burden on the state's general fund; and

          (5) Information on the work, training, and educational histories, the length of and number of stays on public assistance and the reasons for dependency on public assistance is inadequate for analyzing the rise in public assistance caseloads.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     It is the intent of this chapter to direct the department of social and health services and the employment security department to develop information systems and research projects to analyze on a continuing basis the factors contributing to the increases in public assistance caseloads.  Special attention should be given to the work, training, and educational backgrounds of past and present recipients as well as their reasons for dependency on public assistance.

          The legislature believes that a better understanding of the dynamics of the caseload growth will be of great value in developing new approaches to assisting recipients in their efforts to find meaningful employment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The department of social and health services shall conduct a study of public assistance recipients who are entering and exiting the regular AFDC programs during the period July 1, 1987, and June 30, 1988.  The employment security department shall provide employment and wage information on the recipients selected for the study.

          The results of this study shall be reported to the legislature and the governor prior to the start of the 1989 legislative session.

          (2) The department of social and health services shall conduct a long-term study over time of individual public assistance recipients who enter the regular AFDC program during the period July 1, 1987, and June 30, 1988.  The sample population used in the study described in subsection (1) of this section shall be used for the sample population.  The employment security department shall provide employment and wage data on the sample population throughout the life of the study.

          Biennial reports shall be made to the legislature and governor prior to the start of the legisltive session in odd-numbered years.

          (3) Both studies should include but not be limited to the following:

          (a) Demographic characteristics of recipients;

          (b) Employment, education, and training histories;

          (c) Number and length of stays on assistance; and

          (d) Reasons for dependency on public assistance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.