SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1234
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions, March 27, 2001
Title: An act relating to revising apprenticeship law to respond to a 1999 United States department of labor audit.
Brief Description: Revising apprenticeship law to respond to a 1999 United States department of labor audit.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Clements (co‑prime sponsor), Conway (co‑prime sponsor), Lisk, Wood, B. Chandler, Kessler, Kenney, Hurst, Keiser, Simpson, Ogden, Lovick, Morris, McIntire, D. Schmidt, Ruderman, O'Brien, Schual‑Berke, Edwards, Kagi, Cody and Edmonds; by request of Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and Department of Labor & Industries).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions: 3/26/01, 3/27/01 [DP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Franklin, Rasmussen, Regala, West and Winsley.
Staff: Jack Brummel (786‑7428)
Background: Washington has operated a state apprenticeship system since 1941, in compliance with the National Apprenticeship Law of 1937. Federal regulations adopted in 1978 required all states wishing to be recognized for federal apprenticeship purposes to comply with federal standards. Federal recognition of Washington=s apprenticeship system allows apprentices trained in Washington to have their certification honored in any of the 50 states. The U.S. Department of Labor notified the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council in 1999 of conflicts between Washington apprenticeship law and federal regulations in a number of areas.
Summary of Bill: The Apprenticeship Council must approve apprenticeship programs and establish apprenticeship standards. It must consider recommendations from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges regarding instruction and adopt the same or similar instructor qualifications as those used by the colleges.
Apprenticeship programs must be sponsored by either a joint labor/management apprenticeship committee or a unilateral apprenticeship committee. Apprenticeship committees must conform to state and federal requirements. Committees must have an equal number of employer and employee representatives, but the council may serve as the employee representative if there is no feasible method to choose such representatives.
Apprenticeship agreements must be in writing between an apprentice and the employer(s) or the apprenticeship committee.
Apprenticeship programs with five or more apprentices must conform to federal law regarding equal employment opportunity in apprenticeship, while advancing the nondiscriminatory principles of the Washington State Civil Rights Act (Initiative 200 of 1998).
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: The language in this bill has been worked out with the Department of Labor so it meets the federal conformity test. The bill will make the council more responsive to apprenticeship needs and allows the council to provide technical assistance. It will provide fair consideration of all programs, whether union or open shop.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Representative Conway, co-prime sponsor; Patrick Woods, L&I; Rick Slunaker, AGC; Randy Loomans, WA State Labor Council; Jim Crabb, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.