S-4507

AN ACT Relating to leave to care for a child; amending RCW 50.29.020, 49.78.005, and 49.78.070; adding a new section to chapter 50.20 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the quality of caregiving during the first year of a child's life or during the first year of an adopted child's placement can significantly impact the child's intellectual and emotional growth and social adjustment. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to expand opportunities for parents in the work force to participate in caregiving for newly born or newly adopted children by establishing a partial wage replacement program for these parents.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 50.20 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) Subject to (b) of this subsection, an otherwise eligible individual who has left work to care for the individual's child during the child's first year of life or during the first year following the child's placement with the individual for adoption, with respect to that separation, the individual may not be denied benefits for a maximum of five weeks under RCW 50.20.050, relating to voluntarily leaving work, or RCW 50.20.010(3) and 50.20.080 relating to availability for work and active search for work, and failure to apply for or refusal to accept suitable work.

(b) In circumstances where the necessity for leave was foreseeable based on an expected birth or placement, the individual must have given the employer notice at least thirty days before leave was to begin or, where the birth or placement required leave to begin in less than thirty days, as much notice as was practicable.

(2) Benefits are payable under this section for a maximum of five weeks.

Sec. 3. RCW 50.29.020 and 1995 c 57 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An experience rating account shall be established and maintained for each employer, except employers as described in RCW 50.44.010 and 50.44.030 who have properly elected to make payments in lieu of contributions, taxable local government employers as described in RCW 50.44.035, and those employers who are required to make payments in lieu of contributions, based on existing records of the employment security department. Benefits paid to any eligible individuals shall be charged to the experience rating accounts of each of such individual's employers during the individual's base year in the same ratio that the wages paid by each employer to the individual during the base year bear to the wages paid by all employers to that individual during that base year, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(2) The legislature finds that certain benefit payments, in whole or in part, should not be charged to the experience rating accounts of employers except those employers described in RCW 50.44.010 and 50.44.030 who have properly elected to make payments in lieu of contributions, taxable local government employers described in RCW 50.44.035, and those employers who are required to make payments in lieu of contributions, as follows:

(a) Benefits paid to any individuals later determined to be ineligible shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer.

(b) Benefits paid to an individual filing under the provisions of chapter 50.06 RCW shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer only if:

(i) The individual files under RCW 50.06.020(1) after receiving crime victims' compensation for a disability resulting from a nonwork-related occurrence; or

(ii) The individual files under RCW 50.06.020(2).

(c) Benefits paid which represent the state's share of benefits payable under chapter 50.22 RCW shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer.

(d) In the case of individuals who requalify for benefits under RCW 50.20.050 or 50.20.060, benefits based on wage credits earned prior to the disqualifying separation shall not be charged to the experience rating account of the contribution paying employer from whom that separation took place.

(e) In the case of individuals identified under RCW 50.20.015, benefits paid with respect to a calendar quarter, which exceed the total amount of wages earned in the state of Washington in the higher of two corresponding calendar quarters included within the individual's determination period, as defined in RCW 50.20.015, shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer.

(f) Benefits paid under section 2 of this act shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer.

(3)(a) Beginning July 1, 1985, a contribution-paying base year employer, not otherwise eligible for relief of charges for benefits under this section, may receive such relief if the benefit charges result from payment to an individual who:

(i) Last left the employ of such employer voluntarily for reasons not attributable to the employer;

(ii) Was discharged for misconduct connected with his or her work not a result of inability to meet the minimum job requirements;

(iii) Is unemployed as a result of closure or severe curtailment of operation at the employer's plant, building, work site, or other facility. This closure must be for reasons directly attributable to a catastrophic occurrence such as fire, flood, or other natural disaster; or

(iv) Continues to be employed on a regularly scheduled permanent part-time basis by a base year employer and who at some time during the base year was concurrently employed and subsequently separated from at least one other base year employer. Benefit charge relief ceases when the employment relationship between the employer requesting relief and the claimant is terminated. This subsection does not apply to shared work employers under chapter 50.60 RCW.

(b) The employer requesting relief of charges under this subsection must request relief in writing within thirty days following mailing to the last known address of the notification of the valid initial determination of such claim, stating the date and reason for the separation or the circumstances of continued employment. The commissioner, upon investigation of the request, shall determine whether relief should be granted.

Sec. 4. RCW 49.78.005 and 1997 c 16 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the department shall cease to administer and enforce this chapter beginning on July 27, 1997, and until the earlier of the following dates:

(a) The effective date of the repeal of the federal family and medical leave act of 1993 (Act Feb. 5, 1993, P.L. 103-3, 107 Stat. 6); or

(b) July 1st of the year following the year in which amendments to the federal family and medical leave act of 1993 (Act Feb. 5, 1993, P.L. 103-3, 107 Stat. 6) take effect that provide less family leave than is provided under RCW 49.78.030. In determining whether the federal law provides the same or more leave, the department shall only consider whether (i) the total period of leave allowed under the amended federal law is twelve or more workweeks in a twenty-four month period, and (ii) the types of leave authorized under the amended federal law are similar to the types authorized in this chapter.

(2)(a) An employee's right under RCW 49.78.070(1) (a) or (b) ((~~to be returned to a workplace within twenty miles of the employee's workplace when leave commenced~~)) shall remain in effect.

(b) The family leave required by 29 U.S.C. ((~~29.2612~~)) Sec. 2612 (a)(1)(A) and (B) of the federal family and medical leave act of 1993 (Act Feb. 5, 1993, P.L. 103-3, 107 Stat. 6) shall be in addition to any leave for sickness or temporary disability because of pregnancy or childbirth.

(c) If an employer provides an employee with paid leave that may be used for a purpose described in section 2 of this act, the employee is entitled to the employer-paid leave in addition to the leave during which the employee earns waiting period credits or receives benefits under section 2 of this act. However, an employer may require an employee to substitute any leave during which the employee earns waiting period credits or receives benefits under section 2 of this act or any employer-paid leave that may be used for a purpose described in section 2 of this act, or both, for any part of the weeks of family leave under the federal family and medical leave act of 1993 (Act Feb. 5, 1993, P.L. 103-3, 107 Stat. 6).

(d) The department shall enforce this subsection under RCW 49.78.140 through 49.78.190, except that an initial notice of infraction shall state that the employer has thirty days in which to take corrective action. No infraction or penalty may be assessed if the employer complies with the requirements of the initial notice of infraction.

Sec. 5. RCW 49.78.070 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 11 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, an employee who exercises any right provided under RCW 49.78.030, or who is on leave from work during which the employee earns waiting period credits or receives benefits under section 2 of this act, shall be entitled, upon return from leave or during any reduced leave schedule:

(a) To the same position held by the employee when the leave commenced; or

(b) To a position with equivalent benefits and pay at a workplace within twenty miles of the employee's workplace when leave commenced; or

(c) If the employer's circumstances have so changed that the employee cannot be reinstated to the same position, or a position of equivalent pay and benefits, the employee shall be reinstated in any other position which is vacant and for which the employee is qualified.

(2) The entitlement under subsection (1) of this section is subject to bona fide changes in compensation or work duties, and does not apply if:

(a) The employee's position is eliminated by a bona fide restructuring, or reduction-in-force;

(b) The employee's workplace is permanently or temporarily shut down for at least thirty days;

(c) The employee's workplace is moved to a location at least sixty miles from the location of the workplace when leave commenced;

(d) ((An)) The employee on family leave takes another job; or

(e) The employee fails to provide timely notice of family leave as required under RCW 49.78.040, or fails to return on the established ending date of leave.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. 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. 8. This act shall be applied consistent with regulations on birth and adoption unemployment compensation issued by the United States department of labor.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. This act applies with respect to weeks of unemployment beginning on or after the Sunday following the day on which the governor signs this act, or when the United States department of labor issues regulations on birth and adoption unemployment compensation, whichever is later.