AN ACT Relating to disability employment reporting by state agencies; adding a new section to chapter 43.41 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  The legislature finds that eleven percent of working age adults and thirteen percent of the state's total population consists of persons with disabilities, that persons with disabilities suffer significantly higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than in the general population, and that representation of disabled persons in the state workforce has declined in recent years, but has increased during the last year. The legislature further finds that there is no policy similar to Schedule A in the federal civil service system for priority hiring of persons with disabilities. Therefore, the legislature intends to increase the hiring of persons with disabilities in the state workforce.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By January 31st of each year, state agencies employing one hundred or more people must submit the report described in subsection (2) of this section to the human resources director, with copies to the director of the department of social and health services' division of vocational rehabilitation and the governor's disability employment task force.

(2) The report must include the following information:

(a) The number of employees from the previous calendar year;

(b) The number of employees classified as individuals with disabilities;

(c) The number of employees that separated from the state agency the previous year;

(d) The number of employees that were hired by the state agency the previous year;

(e) The number of employees hired from the division of vocational rehabilitation services and from the department of the services for the blind the previous year;

(f) The number of planned hires for the current year; and

(g) Opportunities for internships for the department of social and health services' division of vocational rehabilitation and developmental disabilities administration, and the department of the services for the blind client placement, leading to an entry-level position placement upon successful completion for the current year.

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