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                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2770

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Jones and Vekich; by request of Employment Security Department

Read first time 1/19/90 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to base year wages for unemployment compensation; reenacting and amending RCW 50.04.030; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 4, chapter 35, Laws of 1945 as last amended by section 1, chapter 256, Laws of 1987 and by section 2, chapter 278, Laws of 1987 and RCW 50.04.030 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

          "Benefit year" with respect to each individual, means the fifty-two consecutive week period beginning with the first day of the calendar week in which the individual files an application for an initial determination and thereafter the fifty-two consecutive week period beginning with the first day of the calendar week in which the individual next files an application for an initial determination after the expiration of the individual's last preceding benefit year:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the foregoing limitation shall not be deemed to preclude the establishment of a new benefit year under the laws of another state pursuant to any agreement providing for the interstate combining of employment and wages and the interstate payment of benefits nor shall this limitation be deemed to preclude the commissioner from backdating an initial application at the request of the claimant either for the convenience of the department of employment security or for any other reason deemed by the commissioner to be good cause.

          An individual's benefit year shall be extended to be fifty-three weeks when at the expiration of fifty-two weeks the establishment of a new benefit year would result in the use of a quarter of wages in the new base year that had been included in the individual's prior base year.

          No benefit year will be established unless it is determined that the individual earned wages in "employment" in not less than six hundred eighty hours of the individual's base year:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That a benefit year cannot be established if the base year wages include wages earned prior to the establishment of a prior benefit year unless the individual worked and  earned wages ((in "employment")) since the ((beginning of)) initial separation from employment in the previous benefit ((year's waiting period under RCW 50.20.010(4))) year of not less than six times the weekly benefit amount computed for the individual's new benefit year.

          If an individual's prior benefit year was based on the last four completed calendar quarters, a new benefit year shall not be established until the new base year does not include any hours used in the establishment of the prior benefit year.

          If the wages of an individual are not based upon a fixed duration of time or if the individual's wages are paid at irregular intervals or in such manner as not to extend regularly over the period of employment, the wages for any week shall be determined in such manner as the commissioner may by regulation prescribe.  Such regulation shall, so far as possible, secure results reasonably similar to those which would prevail if the individual were paid his or her wages at regular intervals.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state or the eligibility of employers in this state for federal unemployment tax credits, the conflicting part of this act is hereby declared to be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and such finding or determination shall not affect the operation of the remainder of this act.  The rules under this act shall meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state or the granting of federal unemployment tax credits to employers in this state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.