BILL REQ. #:  H-1051.1 

Read first time 01/31/2007.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to vocational rehabilitation services for volunteer firefighters and reserve officers; amending RCW 41.24.010; adding a new section to chapter 41.24 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 41.24.010 and 2006 c 26 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Municipal corporation" or "municipality" includes any county, city, town or combination thereof, fire protection district, local law enforcement agency, or any emergency medical service district or other special district, authorized by law to protect life or property within its boundaries through a fire department, emergency workers, or reserve officers.
     (2) "Fire department" means any regularly organized fire department or emergency medical service district consisting wholly of volunteer firefighters, or any part-paid and part-volunteer fire department duly organized and maintained by any municipality: PROVIDED, That any such municipality wherein a part-paid fire department is maintained may by appropriate legislation permit the full-paid members of its department to come under the provisions of chapter 41.16 RCW.
     (3) "Firefighter" includes any firefighter or emergency worker who is a member of any fire department of any municipality but shall not include firefighters who are eligible for participation in the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system or the Washington public employees' retirement system, with respect to periods of service rendered in such capacity.
     (4) "Emergency worker" means any emergency medical service personnel, regulated by chapters 18.71 and 18.73 RCW, who is a member of an emergency medical service district but shall not include emergency medical service personnel who are eligible for participation in the Washington public employees' retirement system, with respect to periods of service rendered in such capacity.
     (5) "Performance of duty" or "performance of service" shall be construed to mean and include any work in and about company quarters, any fire station, any law enforcement office or precinct, or any other place under the direction or general orders of the chief or other officer having authority to order such member to perform such work; performing other officially assigned duties that are secondary to his or her duties as a firefighter, emergency worker, or reserve officer such as maintenance, public education, inspections, investigations, court testimony, and fund-raising for the benefit of the department; being on call or on standby under the orders of the chief or designated officer of the department, except at the individual's home or place of business; responding to, working at, or returning from an alarm of fire, emergency call, or law enforcement duties; drill or training; or any work performed of an emergency nature in accordance with the rules and regulations of the fire department or local law enforcement agency.
     (6) "State board" means the state board for volunteer firefighters and reserve officers.
     (7) "Board of trustees" or "local board" means: (a) For matters affecting firefighters, a firefighter board of trustees created under RCW 41.24.060; (b) for matters affecting an emergency worker, an emergency medical service district board of trustees created under RCW 41.24.330; or (c) for matters affecting reserve officers, a reserve officer board of trustees created under RCW 41.24.460.
     (8) "Appropriate legislation" means an ordinance when an ordinance is the means of legislating by any municipality, and resolution in all other cases.
     (9) "Reserve officer" means the same as defined by the Washington state criminal justice training commission under chapter 43.101 RCW, but shall not include enforcement officers who are eligible for participation in the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system or the Washington public employees' retirement system, with respect to periods of service rendered in such capacity.
     (10) "Participant" means: (a) For purposes of relief, any reserve officer who is or may become eligible for relief under this chapter or any firefighter or emergency worker; and (b) for purposes of retirement pension, any firefighter, emergency worker, or reserve officer who is or may become eligible to receive a benefit of any type under the retirement provisions of this chapter, or whose beneficiary may be eligible to receive any such benefit.
     (11) "Relief" means all medical, death, and disability benefits available under this chapter that are made necessary from death, sickness, injury, or disability arising in the performance of duty, including benefits provided under RCW 41.24.110, 41.24.150, 41.24.160, 41.24.175, 41.24.220, and 41.24.230, but does not include retirement pensions provided under this chapter.
     (12) "Retirement pension" means retirement payments for the performance of service, as provided under RCW 41.24.170, 41.24.172, 41.24.175, 41.24.180, and 41.24.185.
     (13) "Principal fund" means the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund created under RCW 41.24.030.
     (14) "Administrative fund" means the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund created under RCW 41.24.030.
     (15) "Secretary" means the secretary appointed by the board under RCW 41.24.290.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 41.24 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) One of the primary purposes of this section is to enable injured participants to return to their regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit. To this end, the state board shall utilize the services of individuals and organizations, public or private, whose experience, training, and interests in vocational rehabilitation and retraining qualify them to lend expert assistance to the secretary or the secretary's designee in such programs of vocational rehabilitation as may be reasonable to make the participant return to his or her regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit consistent with his or her physical and mental status. After evaluation and recommendation by such individuals or organizations and prior to final evaluation of the participant's permanent disability, if in the sole opinion of the secretary or the secretary's designee, whether or not medical treatment has been concluded, vocational rehabilitation is both necessary and likely to enable the injured participant to return to his or her regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit, the secretary or the secretary's designee may, in his or her sole discretion, pay the cost as provided in subsection (3) or (4) of this section.
     (2) When, in the sole discretion of the secretary or the secretary's designee, vocational rehabilitation is both necessary and likely to make the participant return to his or her regular occupation, business, or profession, or to engage in any occupation or perform any work for compensation or profit, then the following order of priorities shall be used:
     (a) Return to the previous job with the same employer;
     (b) Modification of the previous job with the same employer including transitional return to work;
     (c) A new job with the same employer in keeping with any limitations or restrictions;
     (d) Modification of a new job with the same employer including transitional return to work;
     (e) Modification of the previous job with a new employer;
     (f) A new job with a new employer or self-employment based upon transferable skills;
     (g) Modification of a new job with a new employer;
     (h) A new job with a new employer or self-employment involving on-the-job training;
     (i) Short-term retraining and job placement.
     (3)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, costs for vocational rehabilitation benefits allowed by the secretary or secretary's designee under subsection (1) of this section may include the cost of books, tuition, fees, supplies, equipment, transportation, child or dependent care, and other necessary expenses in an amount not to exceed four thousand dollars. This amount must be used within fifty-two weeks of the determination that vocational rehabilitation is permitted under this section.
     (b) The expenses allowed under (a) of this subsection may include training fees for on-the-job training and the cost of furnishing tools and other equipment necessary for self-employment or reemployment. However, compensation or payment of retraining with job placement expenses under (a) of this subsection may not be authorized for a period of more than fifty-two weeks, except that such period may, in the sole discretion of the secretary or the secretary's designee, after his or her review, be extended for an additional fifty-two weeks or portion thereof by written order of the secretary. However, under no circumstances shall the total amount of benefit paid under this section exceed four thousand dollars.
     (4) In addition to the vocational rehabilitation expenditures provided for under subsection (3) of this section, an additional five thousand dollars may, upon authorization of the secretary or the secretary's designee, be expended for: (a) Accommodations for an injured participant that are medically necessary for participation in an approved retraining plan; and (b) accommodations necessary to perform the essential functions of an occupation in which an injured participant is seeking employment, consistent with the retraining plan or the recommendations of a vocational evaluation. The injured participant's attending physician or licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner must verify the necessity of the modifications or accommodations. The total expenditures authorized in this subsection shall not exceed five thousand dollars.
     (5) The secretary or the secretary's designee shall follow the established criteria set forth by the department of labor and industries to monitor the quality and effectiveness of rehabilitation services provided by the individuals and organizations used under subsection (1) of this section. The secretary or the secretary's designee shall make referrals for vocational rehabilitation services based on these performance criteria.
     (6) The state board may engage, where feasible and cost-effective, in a cooperative program with the state employment security department to provide job placement services under this section.
     (7) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the vocational benefits provided for in this section are available to participants who have claims currently pending as of the effective date of this section or whose injury occurred on or after January 1, 2006.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   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.