Z-1150               _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2491

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Leonard, Smith, Jones, Prentice, Walker, Cole, Forner, R. King, Vekich, Winsley, Wineberry and Ferguson; by request of Department of Labor and Industries

Read first time 1/12/90 and referred to Committees on Commerce & Labor/Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to the industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

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

          (1) The quality and stability of the relationship between labor and management in this state's businesses contributes significantly to the health of the state's economy and the capacity of the economy to provide high-quality employment for the state's citizens;

          (2) Cooperation between labor and management can lead to innovation, high productivity, and high product quality and is essential if the state is to be competitive in the fast-changing, international, technology-oriented economy;

          (3) Through cooperation, labor and management can better address common problems which hinder individual and business welfare; and

          (4) The effective, efficient operation of the state's industrial insurance system is primarily a matter of concern to labor and management, and a major issue around which cooperation should be fostered.

          Therefore, to strengthen the state's economy, to promote a better operating environment for the state's workers and businesses, and to inform persons and provide an ongoing forum for discussion regarding the state's industrial insurance system, the legislature establishes the industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.

          (2) "Director" means the director of the department of labor and industries.

          (3) "Local industrial insurance labor-management committee" means a formal, nonprofit organization structured for continuing service with voluntary membership,  intended to provide information on and address issues regarding industrial insurance issues in a distinct and identifiable geographic region or industry, and including equal membership from labor and management.

          (4) "Program" means the industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1)  The industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program is established within the industrial insurance division of the department.  The program shall promote and support efforts by labor and management throughout the state to jointly address issues regarding the state's industrial insurance system and its operation in a local area or industry.  Through this program, the department shall:

          (a) Encourage the formation of and provide assistance to local industrial insurance labor-management committees;

          (b) Serve as a clearinghouse for information on industrial insurance and relevant issues to be addressed by local labor-management committees;

          (c) Provide conferences, workshops, seminars or other educational offerings to promote labor-management cooperation in addressing industrial insurance issues; and

          (d) Provide any other service determined by the director to enhance efforts by labor and management to jointly address industrial insurance issues.

          (2) The director shall adopt rules to implement the program, shall appoint a program coordinator, and shall report annually to the legislature on the progress and status of the program.

          (3) The program coordinator shall report quarterly to the worker's compensation advisory committee on the progress and status of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated, one-fourth from the medical aid fund, one-fourth from the accident fund, and one-half from the self-insurers' administrative fund, for the year ending June 30, 1991, to the department to carry out the purposes of this act, for which the department may employ two full-time employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act shall expire and the industrial insurance labor-management cooperation program shall cease to exist on June 30, 1991, unless extended by law for an additional period of time.