H-1265

AN ACT Relating to job retention and wage progression for WorkFirst participants; and amending RCW 74.08A.280 and 74.08A.410.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 74.08A.280 and 1997 c 58 s 315 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature finds that moving those eligible for assistance to self-sustaining employment is a goal of the WorkFirst program. It is the intent of WorkFirst to aid a participant's progress to self-sufficiency by allowing flexibility within the state-wide program to reflect community resources, the local characteristics of the labor market, and the composition of the caseload. Program success will be enhanced through effective coordination at regional and local levels, involving employers, labor representatives, educators, community leaders, local governments, and social service providers.

(2) The department, through its regional offices, shall collaborate with employers, recipients, frontline workers, educational institutions, labor, private industry councils, the work force training and education coordinating board, community rehabilitation employment programs, employment and training agencies, local governments, the employment security department, and community action agencies to develop work programs that are effective and work in their communities. For planning purposes, the department shall collect and make accessible to regional offices successful work program models from around the United States, including the employment partnership program, apprenticeship programs, microcredit, microenterprise, self‑employment, and W‑2 Wisconsin works. Work programs shall incorporate local volunteer citizens in their planning and implementation phases to ensure community relevance and success.

(3) To reduce administrative costs and to ensure equal state-wide access to services, the department may develop contracts for state-wide welfare-to-work services. These state-wide contracts shall support regional flexibility and ensure that resources follow local labor market opportunities and recipients' needs.

(4) The secretary shall establish WorkFirst service areas for purposes of planning WorkFirst programs and for distributing WorkFirst resources. Service areas shall reflect department regions.

(5) By July 31st of each odd-numbered year, a plan for the WorkFirst program shall be developed for each region. The plan shall be prepared in consultation with local and regional sources, adapting the state-wide WorkFirst program to achieve maximum effect for the participants and the communities within which they reside. Local consultation shall include to the greatest extent possible input from local and regional planning bodies for social services and work force development. The regional and local administrator shall consult with employers of various sizes, labor representatives, training and education providers, program participants, economic development organizations, community organizations, tribes, and local governments in the preparation of the service area plan. The plan shall incorporate provisions relating to job retention services and wage progression services available to current participants of temporary assistance for needy families and those who have left the program through employment. The plan shall include measurable performance goals and specific mechanisms for tracking former participants.

(6) The secretary has final authority in plan approval or modification. Regional program implementation may deviate from the state-wide program if specified in a service area plan, as approved by the secretary.

Sec. 2. RCW 74.08A.410 and 1997 c 58 s 702 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The WorkFirst program shall develop outcome measures for use in evaluating the WorkFirst program authorized in chapter 58, Laws of 1997, which may include but are not limited to:

(a) Caseload reduction;

(b) Recidivism to caseload after two years;

(d) Earnings;

(e) Reduction in average grant through increased recipient earnings; ((~~and~~))

(f) Placement of recipients into private sector, unsubsidized jobs; and

(g) Wage progression history following former temporary assistance for needy families participants for at least two years.

(2) The department shall establish measurable wage goals for participants transitioning from WorkFirst to unsubsidized employment.

(3) The department shall require that contractors for WorkFirst services collect outcome measure information and report outcome measures to the department regularly. The department shall develop benchmarks that compare outcome measure information from all contractors to provide a clear indication of the most effective contractors. Benchmark information shall be published quarterly and provided to the legislature, the governor, and all contractors for WorkFirst services.