2901.E AMS .... S4883.1

2901.E AMS .... S4883.1

EHB 2901 - S AMD 871

By Senator Winsley

ADOPTED 03/13/02

On page 24, after line 33, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. (1) There is hereby created a joint task force on unemployment insurance, composed of the following members:

(a) Four members of the senate labor, commerce and financial institutions committee, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the president of the senate;

(b) Four members of the house of representatives commerce and labor committee, two from each of the major caucuses, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(c) At least one legislative member from each house of the legislature shall represent a district east of the Cascade mountains; and

(d) Up to eight members appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, representing business and labor in equal numbers. The business representatives shall be selected from nominations submitted by statewide business organizations, representing a cross-section of industries. The labor representatives shall be selected from nominations submitted by statewide labor organizations representing a cross-section of industries. Business and labor members shall include at least one person representing each of the following industries or economic sectors: Aerospace, construction, agriculture, small business, information technology, and retail.

(2) The employment security department unemployment insurance advisory committee shall provide administrative, technical, and clerical assistance to the joint task force on unemployment insurance.

(3) The senate committee services and the office of program research shall provide the staff support as mutually agreed by the cochairs of the joint task force on unemployment insurance. The task force shall designate the cochairs.

(4) The members of the joint task force on unemployment insurance shall not be compensated but the legislative members may be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. The task force shall minimize travel costs, and shall meet only in Olympia or Lacey, Washington. Other meetings and conferences that may be deemed necessary shall be held by teleconference or written submittal, which may be via e-mail.

(5) The joint task force on unemployment insurance shall appoint a technical advisory committee to assist in the development of legislative proposals and recommendations. Representatives of small business, construction industry, aerospace, information technology, agriculture, and retail shall be included on the technical advisory committee, on an ad hoc basis. Business and labor, and rural and urban interests shall all be represented.

(6) The joint task force on unemployment insurance shall study the following issues:

(a) Tax equity proposals, including tax rates and distribution of tax effects;

(b) Social costs;

(d) Experience rating systems;

(e) Effectiveness of the implementation of this act in achieving equity;

(f) Trust fund adequacy, including examination of establishment of an earmarked state trust fund managed by the Washington state investment board;

(g) The effect of this act upon business insolvency rates in Washington state;

(h) Ways to reduce any inequitable effects of noncharged benefits caused by statutory individual benefits on the employer unemployment insurance burden. For purposes of this section, "individual benefits" means benefits paid to individuals who are considered to have left work voluntarily for good cause under RCW 50.20.050(2);

(i) Benefit structure and costs, including the improved direction of benefits to those in need;

(j) Analysis to improve understanding of the high rate of employer turnover in Washington state; and

(k) Any other issues deemed appropriate by the task force.

(7) The joint task force on unemployment insurance shall report its findings and make recommendations to the legislature by December 31, 2003. In the event that the task force is divided regarding an issue that is subject to a recommendation, the task force, with the assistance of the technical advisory committee, will articulate and submit more than one proposal or option for legislative consideration."

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.