5723.E AMH CL BEZN 155
ESB 5723 - H COMM AMD
By Committee on Commerce & Labor
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that agricultural workers are challenged not only in finding full-time, year-round work, but also face difficulties in upgrading their agricultural skills. The legislature also finds that the agricultural industry's demand for skilled workers far outnumbers the current supply. In addition, the legislature finds that despite recent advances in the safety of agricultural production, additional training of agricultural workers should assist the agricultural sector in ongoing efforts to reduce occupational injuries.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 15.04 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The community agricultural worker safety grant program is created within the department.
(2) Subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall conduct a competitive grant process and award a grant to a nonprofit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code to develop and provide practical, hands-on training for the state's agricultural workers.
(3) The grant recipient may receive up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars per year.
(4) (a) In developing practical, hands-on training for the state's agricultural workers, the grant recipient shall work with specific stakeholders as follows:
(i) The grant recipient shall work with farmers, farm workers, and related organizations to develop training related to tractor and farm machinery skills and safety and pesticides; and
(ii) The grant recipient shall work with community and technical colleges to develop training related to adult basic skills, civics, English as a second language, commercial drivers' licensing, and other related topics.
(b) Stakeholders identified under this subsection (4) shall not receive compensation for their participation with the grant recipient.
(5) The department shall monitor the effectiveness of any training developed and provided under this section.
(6) The department shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on or before December 1, 2008, on the implementation of this act, including information about the competitive grant process used, the grant recipient selected, any training developed and provided by the grant recipient, the number of people trained by the grant recipient, and any reduction in workplace injuries.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2007, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.
This act expires July 1, 2009."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Strikes the entire text of the bill and replaces it with a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Agriculture (Department).
Requires the Department to conduct a competitive grant process to award a grant to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to develop and provide practical, hands-on training for the state's agricultural workers.
Requires the grant recipient to work with specific stakeholders to develop training in certain subject matters.
Provides that the grant recipient may receive up to $250,000 dollars per year.
Requires the Department to monitor the effectiveness of any training developed and provided.
Requires the Department to report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature on or before December 1, 2008, on implementation, including information about the competitive grant process used, the grant recipient selected, any training developed and provided by the grant recipient, the number of people trained by the grant recipient, and any reduction in workplace injuries.
Provides that the act expires on July 1, 2009 and the act is null and void if it is not funded in the budget.