5920 AAS 2/15/94 S5289.2

5920 AAS 2/15/94 S5289.2

SB 5920 - S AMD - 000229

By Senators Vognild and Newhouse

ADOPTED 2/15/94

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The employment security department shall undertake a pilot project to encourage workers drawing unemployment insurance benefits to seek employment opportunities by allowing a control group in one job service center to keep a greater portion of their weekly benefits when engaged in part-time or temporary employment. It is the intent of this project to return unemployment insurance beneficiaries to full-time employment in the job marketplace in order to positively impact the unemployment insurance trust fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. For the purposes of section 1 of this act, the employment security department shall designate:

(1) The job service center in which the pilot project is to be undertaken; and

(2) The number of participants and the criteria for participation in the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. For the purposes of the pilot project created under section 1 of this act, the following requirements for defining "unemployment" and level of unemployment insurance benefit deductions is as follows:

(1)(a) An individual shall be deemed to be "unemployed" in any week during which the individual performs no services and with respect to which no remuneration is payable to the individual, or in any week of less than full time work, if the remuneration payable to the individual with respect to such week is less than one and one-half times the individual's weekly benefit amount plus fifteen dollars. The commissioner shall prescribe regulations applicable to unemployed individuals making such distinctions in the procedures as to such types of unemployment as the commissioner deems necessary.

(b) An individual shall be deemed not to be "unemployed" during any week which falls totally within a period during which the individual, pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or individual employment contract, is employed full time in accordance with a definition of full time contained in the agreement or contract, and for which compensation for full time work is payable. This subsection may not be applied retroactively to an individual who had no guarantee of work at the start of such period and subsequently is provided additional work by the employer; and

(2) If an eligible individual is available for work for less than a full week, he or she shall be paid his or her weekly benefit amount reduced by one-seventh of such amount for each day that he or she is unavailable for work. However, if he or she is unavailable for work for three days or more of a week, he or she shall be considered unavailable for the entire week.

Each eligible individual who is unemployed in any week shall be paid with respect to such week a benefit in an amount equal to his or her weekly benefit amount less sixty-six and two-thirds percent of that part of the remuneration, if any, payable to him or her with respect to such week which is in excess of fifteen dollars. Such benefit, if not a multiple of one dollar, shall be reduced to the next lower multiple of one dollar.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The employment security department shall report to the legislature on the impact of the pilot project created under section 1 of this act by December 31, 1996. The department shall report on:

(1) The impact of the project on the unemployment insurance trust fund; and

(2) Individuals participating in the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the unemployment insurance funds provided under RCW 50.24.014 designated for use by the joint task force on unemployment insurance created under section 22, chapter 483, Laws of 1993, to the employment security department for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act applies to weeks of unemployment beginning after January 1, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act shall expire July 1, 1997.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. 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."

SB 5920 - S AMD

By Senators Vognild and Newhouse

ADOPTED 2/15/94

On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "deductions;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date."