2020 Regular Session

BySenators Lovelett, Takko, Wellman, McCoy, and Wilson, C.

Prefiled 12/09/19.Read first time 01/13/20.Referred to Committee on Labor & Commerce.

AN ACT Relating to changing the effective date of workforce requirements related to high hazard facilities; amending RCW 49.80.050 and 49.80.900; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. In 2019, the legislature enacted legislation establishing workforce requirements in high hazard facilities. Since passage of the law, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council has received nineteen applications for new apprenticeship programs. The law requires prioritized consideration for new apprenticeship programs for workers in high hazard facilities and requires the Washington state apprenticeship and training council to issue a decision within six months of a completed application for a new state registered apprenticeship program for workers in high hazard facilities. By July 2020, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council will need to issue decisions on those completed applications that have already been submitted to meet the requirements of the law. Given the volume of new applications, all applications except two were assigned to the office of administrative hearings. The office of administrative hearings is currently scheduling hearings twenty months away. Delaying implementation of the law until January 1, 2024, would ensure that completed applications receive a hearing and a decision from the Washington state apprenticeship and training council before the new apprenticeship programs go into effect. If the implementation date is not delayed, it will be impossible for those applications to receive a decision from the Washington state apprenticeship and training council by the compliance date of January 1, 2021, when approved apprenticeship programs are required to be in place.

Sec. 2. RCW 49.80.050 and 2019 c 306 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department in consultation with the Washington state apprenticeship and training council shall prioritize consideration of new apprenticeship programs for workers in high hazard facilities. The Washington state apprenticeship and training council shall issue a decision within six months of the acceptance of a completed application for consideration of a new state registered apprenticeship program for workers in high hazard facilities.

(2) This section expires December 31, ((2023))2025.

Sec. 3. RCW 49.80.900 and 2019 c 306 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

This act takes effect January 1, ((2020))2022.