HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

                     HB 1516

Brief Description:  Providing for a single form for employers to report unemployment insurance contributions and industrial insurance premiums and assessments.

Sponsors:  Representatives McMorris and Conway; by request of the Joint Task Force on Nonpayment of Employer Obligations

                  Hearing:  February 17, 1997

BACKGROUND:

In 1996, Substitute House Bill 2513 created the Task Force on Nonpayment of Employer Obligations.  The task force was directed to make recommendations on, among other issues, methods of improving compliance with employer responsibilities for covering workers under state industrial insurance law and other laws. 

The task force report in December, 1996, included a recommendation that employers should be required to report industrial insurance premiums and unemployment insurance contributions on a unified report form beginning in 1998.  The recommendation included requiring the report to be a multiple part form mailed to a central location with separate pages being forwarded to the respective agency.

SUMMARY OF BILL:

Beginning with reports due in calendar year 1988, employers must make industrial insurance premium and unemployment insurance contribution reports on a form jointly adopted by the Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department.  The form must include multiple parts, with separate pages for each agency's report.  The agencies must also adopt joint rules establishing procedures for employers to mail the form to a central location and be distributed from there to each agency.

FISCAL NOTE:  Requested on February 17, 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.