_______________________________________________
ENGROSSED
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8014
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AS
AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed
Legislature - 2002 Regular Session
State of Washington 57th
Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By
Read first time 02/07/2001.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions.
Requesting
improvement to employment and training services for disabled persons.
TO
THE COMMISSIONER OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
SERVICES FOR THE BLIND, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
COUNCIL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE
GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY ISSUES AND EMPLOYMENT, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WORK FORCE TRAINING AND
EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD:
We,
your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of
Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and
petition as follows:
WHEREAS,
The state has a strong interest in meeting the needs of businesses for skilled
workers; and
WHEREAS,
The largest potential source of such workers within the state is the disability
community, with a current unemployment rate of nearly seventy percent; and
WHEREAS,
The state has a strong interest in enhancing opportunities for disabled
persons; and
WHEREAS,
Disabled persons are a priority population under the federal Workforce
Investment Act; and
WHEREAS,
The state should encourage fair and equal employment and training opportunities
for disabled persons;
NOW,
THEREFORE, Your Memorialists request that your offices work together to:
(1)
Identify effective employment and training services in the state's work source
and education systems for people with disabilities;
(2)
Identify barriers to the delivery of effective services to people with
disabilities;
(3)
Identify benchmarks and performance measures to be used in determining success
in the provision of employment and training services for people with
disabilities;
(4)
Provide training and technical assistance to local work force boards and their
training and employment services partners to improve their outreach and
delivery of services to people with disabilities;
(5)
Make recommendations to the legislature and the governor regarding any
statutory or administrative changes necessary to improve the delivery of
employment and training services to people with disabilities; and
(6)
Report to the legislature and the governor annually on the outcomes of the
efforts undertaken to improve the delivery of employment and training services
to people with disabilities, including examples of specific programs or
services that have benefited people with disabilities. This may be
accomplished by your offices providing the necessary information to the
Executive Director of the Developmental Disabilities Council and the Executive
Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, and
by their compiling a report from the information and forwarding it to the
legislature and the governor.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Commissioner of Employment Security, the Director of the
Department of Services for the Blind, the Executive Director of the
Developmental Disabilities Council, the Director of the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation in the Department of Social and Health Services, the Executive
Secretary of the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Executive Director of the Work
Force Training and Education Coordinating Board.
