BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the contingent work force; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. The legislature finds that, over the past twenty years, the "contingent work force" has grown in Washington state. The contingent work force consists of short-term temporary workers, long-term temporary workers, part-time workers, on-call workers, leased workers, day laborers, independent contract workers, and others. The legislature also finds that there has been no comprehensive study of Washington's contingent work force to learn about its impact on workers, families, businesses, social services, local economies, and the state economy. Thus, the legislature intends to establish a joint select committee to study and make findings and recommendations related to the contingent work force.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE. A joint select committee on the contingent work force is established. The joint select committee shall consist of four voting members: One member from each caucus of the senate, each member being a member of the senate labor and workforce development committee, appointed by the president of the senate; and one member from each caucus of the house of representatives, each member being a member of the house of representatives commerce and labor committee, appointed by the co-speakers of the house of representatives.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. An advisory committee on the contingent work force is also established. The advisory committee shall consist of nine nonvoting members: Two members representing labor, appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the co-speakers of the house of representatives, from a list of names recommended by a state-wide organization representing a cross-section and majority of organized labor in the state; two members representing business, appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the co-speakers of the house of representatives, from a list of names recommended by a state-wide organization of employers representing a majority of employers of the state; one representative of the employment security department; one representative of the department of labor and industries; one representative of the work force training and education coordinating board; one representative of the department of social and health services; and one representative of the office of financial management.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. STAFF. The joint select committee shall have access to and the assistance of the labor market and economic analysis branch of the employment security department and other state agencies as necessary to perform studies, develop recommendations, and report to the legislature concerning issues related to the contingent work force. The joint select committee may hire additional staff with specific technical expertise if such expertise is necessary to carry out the mandates of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. SCOPE OF WORK. The joint select committee, in consultation with the advisory committee, shall study and make findings and recommendations related to the following aspects of Washington's contingent work force:

(1) The number of workers, in both the private and the public sectors, that are part of the contingent work force;

(2) The demographic profile of the contingent work force;

(3) The wage and benefit profile of the contingent work force;

(4) The industrial profile of the contingent work force;

(5) The geographic profile of the contingent work force;

(6) The growth rate of the contingent work force;

(7) The explanations for the growth of the contingent work force;

(8) The preference for contingent work compared to the preference for noncontingent work;

(9) The duration of contingent work compared to the duration of noncontingent work;

(10) State and federal laws, if any, that provide for a different level of employee benefits based on the number of hours per week a person works or on the permanence of his or her employment;

(11) The extent to which employment-based benefits are based on the number of hours per week a person works or on the permanence of his or her employment;

(12) The impact of the growth of the contingent work force on workers, families, businesses, social services, local economies, and the state economy;

(13) Legislative proposals, at either the federal or state level, related to the contingent work force; and

(14) Other issues identified by the joint select committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. The joint select committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the labor and workforce development committee of the senate and the commerce and labor committee of the house of representatives by December 1, 2001.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. EXPIRATION. The joint select committee and the advisory committee expire July 1, 2002.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. APPROPRIATION. The sum of . . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the employment security department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, to carry out the purposes of this act. Any sum that remains unexpended as of June 30, 2001, is reappropriated from the general fund to the employment security department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. CAPTIONS. Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.