5659-S2.E AMH COND REIN 140

E2SSB 5659 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-3529.2/07) 862

By Representative Condotta

FAILED 4/13/2007

   On page 1, after line 2 of the amendment, strike all of sections 1 through 10 and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) The joint legislative task force on family and medical leave insurance is established, with thirteen members as provided in this subsection.

   (i) The chair and the ranking member of the senate labor, commerce, research and development committee.

   (ii) The chair and the ranking member of the house commerce and labor committee.

   (iii) The majority leader of the senate shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.

   (iv) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives.

   (v) The majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives jointly shall appoint four nonlegislative members of the task force, which shall include two members representing business and two members representing labor.

   (vi) The governor shall appoint one member of the task force.

   (b) One of the legislative members of the task force shall act as the chair for each meeting of the task force. The chair shall alternate between members from the senate and members from the house of representatives. The legislative members of the task force jointly shall convene the initial meeting of the task force. A steering committee consisting of the legislative members of the task force jointly shall plan the meetings and other activities of the task force.

   (2) The task force shall study the establishment of a family and medical leave insurance program including, but not limited to, the following:

   (a) The purposes of leave for which benefits are payable;

   (b) The manner in which such benefits and the administrative costs should be financed;

   (c) The manner in which the program should be implemented and administered;

   (d) Any government efficiencies which should be adopted to improve program administration and reduce program costs;

   (e) The impacts of the family and medical leave insurance program on the unemployment compensation system, and options for mitigating such impacts; and

   (f) The impacts of the family and medical leave insurance program on the state's business climate and the ability of the state's employers to be competitive in a global economy.

   (3) Staff support for the task force must be provided by the senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research. The task force may hire additional staff with specific technical expertise if such expertise is necessary to carry out the mandates of this study, and only if an appropriation is specifically provided for this purpose.

   (4) Legislative members of the task force must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

   (5) The expenses of the task force must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.

   (6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations, which shall include proposed legislation, to the legislature by January 1, 2008.

   (7) This section expires July 1, 2009.

   NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. 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."

EFFECT: Establishes a 13-member task force (instead of a 12-member task force). Specifies that task force members include:

   •     The chairs and the ranking members of the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research, and Development Committee and the House Commerce and Labor Committee;

   •     One member of each of the largest caucuses in the Senate, appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;

   •     One member of each of the largest caucuses in the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

   •     Two non-legislative members representing business and two non-legislative members representing labor; and

   •     One gubernatorial appointee.

Specifies that the chair of the task force shall alternate among the legislative members of the task force, and that the legislative members jointly shall plan the meetings and other activities of the task force.

Directs the task force to study the purposes of leave for which benefits are payable, and the impacts of the program on the state's business climate and the ability of the state's employers to be competitive in a global economy.

Deletes sections relating to findings and declarations, definitions, benefits, leave and employment protection, and administrative costs.