5280.E AMH CL KELJ 1

ESB 5280 - H COMM AMD ADOPTED 4-17-93

By Committee on Commerce & Labor

     Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

     "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The director of the department of labor and industries shall conduct a study to determine whether there is a need for increased regulation, such as a voluntary certificate of competency program, of general and specialty contractors registered under chapter 18.27 RCW.  In conducting the study, the director shall consult with representatives of the following construction classifications:  Commercial/retail construction; highway/industrial construction; municipal/utility construction; marine construction; residential single-family construction; and residential multifamily construction.  The director shall also consult with representatives of state and local governmental agencies and members of the general public who are familiar with the business and trade of construction.

     No later than February 1, 1994, the director shall present findings and recommendations to the appropriate legislative committees concerning whether contractors should be subject to increased regulation by the state, such as a voluntary certificate of competency program. 

     The study and recommendations of the director shall be guided by the principle that increased regulation by the state is appropriate only when:  Unregulated practice can clearly harm or endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the public, and the potential harm is easily recognizable and not remote or dependent upon tenuous argument; the public needs and can reasonably be expected to benefit from an assurance of initial and continuing professional responsibility; and the public cannot be effectively protected by other means in a more cost-beneficial manner."

EFFECT:  Requires the Department of Labor & Industries to conduct a study to determine whether increased regulation of contractors is appropriate and to report its findings to the legislature by February 1, 1994.