S-0693.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5534
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By Senators Fairley and Kohl‑Welles
Read first time 01/26/1999. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workforce Development.
AN ACT Relating to benefit eligibility for part-time workers; adding a new section to chapter 50.20 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The legislature finds that part-time workers are increasing in numbers. Part-time workers often fall outside the state's basic safety net of job protections. In particular, part-time workers are excluded from benefit eligibility under state unemployment insurance laws. The legislature further finds that part-time workers are entitled to benefit eligibility under state unemployment insurance laws.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this act is to extend benefit eligibility under state unemployment insurance laws to part-time workers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 50.20 RCW to read as follows:
(1) An individual who limits his or her availability to less than full-time work shall be eligible for benefits when:
(a) The individual has been performing less than full-time work during a substantial portion of the base year or has good cause for such a limitation; and
(b) A sufficient amount of suitable work exists in the labor market area to justify such a limitation.
(2) For purposes of making a determination of availability under this section, and deciding any appeal therefrom:
(a) The individual has the burden of proving that he or she had been performing less than full-time work during a substantial portion of the base year or had good cause for any limitation on his or her availability for full-time work; and
(b) If the individual meets the burden set forth in (a) of this subsection, the commissioner has the burden of proving that a sufficient amount of suitable work did not exist in the labor market area.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The commissioner of the employment security department may adopt rules as necessary to implement this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. 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 inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict, and the finding or determination does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act. Rules adopted under this act must 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. 6. Captions used in this act are not part of the law.
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