S-748                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5329

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Garrett, Johnson, Peterson, Wojahn, Lee, Tanner, Warnke, Williams and Kiskaddon; by request of Joint Select Committee on Disability Employment and Economic Participation

Read first time 1/23/87 and referred to Committee on  Commerce & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to a study of the delivery of benefits and services to persons of disability; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The receipt of many state benefits and services by persons of disability is contingent on satisfying a needs test.  For many persons of disability, the application of needs tests can result in a disincentive to work; income from employment can reduce public benefits such that the person is better off not working.  It is the intent of the legislature to remove disincentives to work from all public benefit programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The department of social and health services shall conduct a study of state policies and public benefit programs for persons of disability administered by state agencies to determine the nature and extent of any disincentives to work contained in those programs.  The department shall consult with the employment security department, the department of services for the blind, the department of labor and industries, the governor's committee on employment of the handicapped, and the developmental disabilities planning council in the development of the study.  The study shall include an implementation plan with steps the department shall take to remove the disincentive to work, including, if necessary, requests from further legislation to carry out the purposes of this act.

          (2) The department of social and health services shall complete its study and report to the senate and house commerce and labor committees no later than December 1, 1987.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of thirty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.