E2SSB 5809 -
By Committee on Commerce & Labor
ADOPTED AND ENGROSSED 4/14/09
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that:
(a) This is a time of great economic difficulty for the residents
of Washington state;
(b) Education and training provides opportunity for unemployed
workers and economically disadvantaged adults to move into living wage
jobs and is of critical importance to the current and future prosperity
of the residents of Washington state;
(c) Community and technical college workforce training programs,
private career schools and colleges, and Washington state
apprenticeship and training council-approved apprenticeship programs
provide effective and efficient pathways for people to enter
high-demand occupations while also meeting the needs of the economy;
(d) The identification of high-demand occupations needs to be based
on reliable labor market research; and
(e) Workforce development councils are in a position to provide
funding for economically disadvantaged adults and unemployed workers to
access training.
(2) Consistent with the intent of the workforce investment act
adult and dislocated worker program provisions of the American recovery
and reinvestment act of 2009, the legislature intends that individuals
who are eligible for services under the workforce investment act adult
and dislocated worker programs, or are receiving or have exhausted
entitlement to unemployment compensation benefits be provided the
opportunity to enroll in training programs to prepare for a high-demand
occupation.
Sec. 2 RCW 50.16.010 and 2009 c 4 s 906 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) There shall be maintained as special funds, separate and apart
from all public moneys or funds of this state an unemployment
compensation fund, an administrative contingency fund, and a federal
interest payment fund, which shall be administered by the commissioner
exclusively for the purposes of this title, and to which RCW 43.01.050
shall not be applicable.
(2)(a) The unemployment compensation fund shall consist of:
(i) All contributions collected under RCW 50.24.010 and payments in
lieu of contributions collected pursuant to the provisions of this
title;
(ii) Any property or securities acquired through the use of moneys
belonging to the fund;
(iii) All earnings of such property or securities;
(iv) Any moneys received from the federal unemployment account in
the unemployment trust fund in accordance with Title XII of the social
security act, as amended;
(v) All money recovered on official bonds for losses sustained by
the fund;
(vi) All money credited to this state's account in the unemployment
trust fund pursuant to section 903 of the social security act, as
amended;
(vii) All money received from the federal government as
reimbursement pursuant to section 204 of the federal-state extended
compensation act of 1970 (84 Stat. 708-712; 26 U.S.C. Sec. 3304); and
(viii) All moneys received for the fund from any other source.
(b) All moneys in the unemployment compensation fund shall be
commingled and undivided.
(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the
administrative contingency fund shall consist of:
(i) All interest on delinquent contributions collected pursuant to
this title;
(ii) All fines and penalties collected pursuant to the provisions
of this title;
(iii) All sums recovered on official bonds for losses sustained by
the fund; and
(iv) Revenue received under RCW 50.24.014.
(b) All fees, fines, forfeitures, and penalties collected or
assessed by a district court because of the violation of this title or
rules adopted under this title shall be remitted as provided in chapter
3.62 RCW.
(c) ((During the 2007-2009 biennium)) Except as provided in (d) of
this subsection, moneys available in the administrative contingency
fund, other than money in the special account created under RCW
50.24.014(((1)(a))), shall be expended ((as appropriated by the
legislature for the (i) cost of the job skills or worker retraining
programs at the community and technical colleges and administrative
costs at the state board for community and technical colleges, and (ii)
reemployment services such as business and project development
assistance, local economic development capacity building, and local
economic development financial assistance at the department of
community, trade, and economic development, and the remaining
appropriation)) upon the direction of the commissioner, with the
approval of the governor, whenever it appears to him or her that such
expenditure is necessary solely for:
(i) The proper administration of this title and that insufficient
federal funds are available for the specific purpose to which such
expenditure is to be made, provided, the moneys are not substituted for
appropriations from federal funds which, in the absence of such moneys,
would be made available.
(ii) The proper administration of this title for which purpose
appropriations from federal funds have been requested but not yet
received, provided, the administrative contingency fund will be
reimbursed upon receipt of the requested federal appropriation.
(iii) The proper administration of this title for which compliance
and audit issues have been identified that establish federal claims
requiring the expenditure of state resources in resolution. Claims
must be resolved in the following priority: First priority is to
provide services to eligible participants within the state; second
priority is to provide substitute services or program support; and last
priority is the direct payment of funds to the federal government.
(d)(i) During the 2007-2009 biennium, moneys available in the
administrative contingency fund, other than money in the special
account created under RCW 50.24.014(1)(a), shall be expended as
appropriated by the legislature for: (A) The cost of the job skills or
worker retraining programs at the community and technical colleges and
administrative costs at the state board for community and technical
colleges; and (B) reemployment services such as business and project
development assistance, local economic development capacity building,
and local economic development financial assistance at the department
of community, trade, and economic development. The remaining
appropriation may be expended as specified in (c) of this subsection.
(ii) During fiscal year 2010, no more than five million dollars of
moneys available in the administrative contingency fund, other than
money in the special account created under RCW 50.24.014, may be
expended as appropriated by the legislature to create incentives for
education and training for individuals who are eligible for services
under the workforce investment act adult or dislocated worker programs,
or are receiving or have exhausted entitlement to unemployment
compensation benefits and are enrolled in a training program preparing
them for a high-demand occupation pursuant to sections 4 and 5 of this
act. The remaining appropriation may be expended as specified in (c)
of this subsection.
(4) Money in the special account created under RCW 50.24.014(1)(a)
may only be expended, after appropriation, for the purposes specified
in this section and RCW 50.62.010, 50.62.020, 50.62.030, 50.24.014,
50.44.053, and 50.22.010.
Sec. 3 RCW 50.24.014 and 2007 c 327 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(a) A separate and identifiable account to provide for the
financing of special programs to assist the unemployed is established
in the administrative contingency fund. All money in this account
shall be expended solely for the purposes of this title and for no
other purposes whatsoever. Contributions to this account shall accrue
and become payable by each employer, except employers as described in
RCW 50.44.010 and 50.44.030 who have properly elected to make payments
in lieu of contributions, taxable local government employers as
described in RCW 50.44.035, and those employers who are required to
make payments in lieu of contributions, at a basic rate of two one-hundredths of one percent. The amount of wages subject to tax shall be
determined under RCW 50.24.010.
(b) A separate and identifiable account is established in the
administrative contingency fund for financing the employment security
department's administrative costs under RCW 50.22.150 and section 4,
chapter 3, Laws of 2009 and the costs under RCW 50.22.150(((10))) (11)
and section 4(14), chapter 3, Laws of 2009. All money in this account
shall be expended solely for the purposes of this title and for no
other purposes whatsoever. Contributions to this account shall accrue
and become payable by each employer, except employers as described in
RCW 50.44.010 and 50.44.030 who have properly elected to make payments
in lieu of contributions, taxable local government employers as
described in RCW 50.44.035, those employers who are required to make
payments in lieu of contributions, those employers described under RCW
50.29.025(1)(f)(ii), and those qualified employers assigned rate class
20 or rate class 40, as applicable, under RCW 50.29.025, at a basic
rate of one one-hundredth of one percent. The amount of wages subject
to tax shall be determined under RCW 50.24.010. Any amount of
contributions payable under this subsection (1)(b) that exceeds the
amount that would have been collected at a rate of four one-thousandths
of one percent must be deposited in the account created in (a) of this
subsection.
(2)(a) Contributions under this section shall become due and be
paid by each employer under rules as the commissioner may prescribe,
and shall not be deducted, in whole or in part, from the remuneration
of individuals in the employ of the employer. Any deduction in
violation of this section is unlawful.
(b) In the payment of any contributions under this section, a
fractional part of a cent shall be disregarded unless it amounts to
one-half cent or more, in which case it shall be increased to one cent.
(3) If the commissioner determines that federal funding has been
increased to provide financing for the services specified in chapter
50.62 RCW, the commissioner shall direct that collection of
contributions under this section be terminated on the following January
1st.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 (1) Subject to the availability of funds
through March 1, 2011, funds available under section 2 of this act
shall be distributed by the employment security department to workforce
development councils as a match to American recovery and reinvestment
act formula funds or local workforce investment act funds that
workforce development councils provide specifically for the education
and training of eligible individuals in high-demand occupations for the
purposes identified in section 5(2) of this act.
(a) Funds used to increase capacity as described in section 5(2)(a)
of this act shall receive a seventy-five percent match.
(b) Funds used to provide student financial aid described in
section 5(2)(b) of this act shall receive a twenty-five percent match.
(2) The governor may direct discretionary funds made available
under Title VIII of division A of the American recovery and
reinvestment act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) to be used for the purposes of
this section.
(3) Funds available for the purposes identified in section 5(2) of
this act but not distributed under subsection (1) of this section shall
be allocated to the state board for community and technical colleges
March 1, 2011. The board shall only use the funds to increase capacity
as described in section 5(2)(a) of this act. The board shall report to
the employment security department on the use of these funds.
(4) The employment security department, in cooperation with the
workforce training and education coordinating board and the state board
for community and technical colleges, shall develop a set of guidelines
on allowable uses for the incentive funds made available under this
section. These guidelines shall emphasize training programs that
expand the skills for Washington workers in order to obtain and retain
jobs in high-demand industries such as those referenced in the American
recovery and reinvestment act of 2009.
(5) This section expires July 1, 2011.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 (1) Consistent with the intent of the
workforce investment act adult and dislocated worker program provisions
of the American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009, the employment
security department shall encourage an increase in education and
training through grants and local plan modifications with workforce
development councils. The department shall encourage workforce
development councils to collaborate with other local recipients of
American recovery and reinvestment act funding for the purposes of
increasing training and supporting individuals who receive training.
The department shall also require workforce development councils to
determine the number of participants who will receive education and
training in high-demand industries. The department shall require the
workforce development councils to report on these efforts to accomplish
the tasks described in this subsection.
(2) The employment security department shall use funds as described
in section 4 of this act to encourage workforce development councils to
use American recovery and reinvestment act and workforce investment act
adult and dislocated worker formula resources for the following
education and training purposes:
(a) To provide enrollment support or enter into contracts with the
community and technical college system to increase capacity for
training eligible individuals for high-demand occupations in programs
on the eligible training provider list or new programs; and
(b) For the provision of individual training accounts that provide
financial aid for eligible students training for high-demand
occupations in programs on the eligible training provider list.
(3) American recovery and reinvestment act formula funds described
in this section may not be used to replace or supplant any existing
enrollments, programs, support services, or funding sources.
(4) The employment security department, in its role as fiscal agent
for workforce funds available under the American recovery and
reinvestment act, shall monitor and report to the governor on the use
of these funds and identify specific actions that the governor or the
legislature may take to ensure the state and local workforce
development councils are effectively meeting the intent of this act.
This shall include such reports as required by the American recovery
and reinvestment act of 2009 and the governor.
(5) This section expires July 1, 2011.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 The employment security department, in
collaboration with the workforce training and education coordinating
board, workforce development councils, and the state board for
community and technical colleges, shall submit a report to the governor
and to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1,
2010. The report shall describe the implementation of this act, and
shall include the following:
(1) The amounts of expenditures on education and training;
(2) The number of students receiving training;
(3) The types of training received by the students;
(4) Training completion and employment rates;
(5) Comparisons of preprogram and postprogram wage levels;
(6) Student demographics and institution/program demographics;
(7) Efforts made to ensure training was provided in areas that
would lead to employment;
(8) Efforts to develop capacity in occupations that are of
particularly high demand; and
(9) Specific enhancements made in the workforce system to ensure
additional training in high-demand occupations is accessible to low-income and dislocated workers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 A new section is added to chapter 50.22 RCW
to read as follows:
The employment security department shall periodically bring
together representatives of the workforce training and education
coordinating board, workforce development councils, the state board for
community and technical colleges, business, labor, and the legislature
to review development and implementation of chapter . . ., Laws of 2009
(this act) and related programs under this chapter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 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."
Correct the title.