EMERGENCY RULES
Date of Adoption: June 14, 2000.
Purpose: To adopt new regulations clarifying provisions of SHB 3077, which provides for the payment of additional unemployment benefits for qualified dislocated workers enrolled in approved training. The regulations define terms, clarify eligibility requirements, and establish policies and procedures related to the approval and funding of training plans. The rules also clarify requalification requirements for individuals who have been disqualified from benefits.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 192-16-017.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 50.12.010, 50.20.010, and chapter 2, section 8, Laws of 2000.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: SHB 3077 was signed by the governor on February 7, 2000, and applies to weeks of unemployment beginning on February 13, 2000. Rules are necessary to clarify several provisions of the bill, and to ensure that it is implemented consistently state-wide. Discussions with stakeholders regarding the content of the final rules are ongoing, but emergency rules are needed until these rules take effect.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 18, Amended 0, Repealed 2.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.
June 13, 2000
Kathy Baros Friedt
Deputy Commissioner
Sections 12, 13, and 14 of Chapter 2, Laws of 2000 apply to separations from employment or work refusals that occur on or after February 13, 2000.
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If you leave work to accept a bona fide offer of employment, you will have good cause within the meaning of RCW 50.20.050(1) if you satisfactorily demonstrate that:
(1) Prior to leaving work, you received a definite offer of employment; and
(2) You had a reasonable basis for believing that the person making the offer had the authority to do so; and
(3) A specific starting date and the terms and conditions of the employment were mutually agreed upon; and
(4) You continued in your previous employment for as long as was reasonably consistent with whatever arrangements were necessary to start working at the new job; and
(5) The new job is in employment covered by Title 50 RCW or the comparable laws of another state.
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If your spouse's employer requires your spouse to relocate to another labor market area to retain a current job or to accept another job with that employer, the relocation will be considered an employer-initiated mandatory transfer. Examples of employer-initiated mandatory transfers include, but are not limited to:
(a) A plant closure where employees must move to another labor market area to continue employment with that employer;
(b) A change in job responsibilities, such as a promotion, with that same employer that will require a move to another labor market area; and
(c) A restructuring of business operations requiring employees to move to another labor market area if they want to continue doing the same job.
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Benefits may be denied under RCW 50.20.050(1) for voluntarily leaving work, RCW 50.20.060 for being discharged for misconduct, and RCW 50.20.080 for refusing an offer of suitable work or job referral. The denial of benefits will continue indefinitely until you show that:
(1) At least seven calendar weeks have elapsed following the week the act occurred that resulted in the denial of benefits;
(2) You have obtained bona fide work and earned wages of at least seven times your suspended weekly benefit amount. The wages earned must be in employment that is covered by Title 50 RCW or the comparable laws of another state.
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Chapter 192-270Training Benefits for Dislocated Workers
NEW SECTION
WAC 192-270-005
Definitions.
The definitions below apply to this chapter and Chapter 2, Laws of 2000:
(1) "Labor market" means the geographic area in which workers in your particular occupation or with your particular set of skills have customarily found work. For the purpose of determining eligibility for training benefits, "labor market" is based on your place of residence at the time you separated from employment and your occupation.
(2) "NAICS" means the North American industry classification system code.
(3) "Plurality of wages" means the largest proportion of wages earned within a particular occupation or skill set. These wages must be earned in:
(a) Your base year, and
(b) At least two of the four twelve-month periods preceding your base year.
(4) "SIC" means the standard industrial classification code.
(5) "Skill set" means the work-related knowledge and abilities needed to produce a particular product or provide a particular service.
(6) "Training benefits" means the additional benefits paid under Chapter 2, Laws of 2000 to eligible dislocated workers enrolled in and making satisfactory progress in a training program approved by the commissioner.
(7) "Wages" means remuneration earned in employment as defined in Title 50 RCW or the comparable laws of another state. This means that only wages in covered employment can be considered in determining whether you have sufficient tenure in an occupation or in work with a particular skill set.
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You must have been terminated or received a notice of termination from your employer to be eligible for training benefits. Training benefits are not available if you left work voluntarily regardless of whether you had good cause for leaving, or if you are disqualified from benefits for work-related misconduct under RCW 50.20.060, and have not requalified for benefits.
When determining whether your separation from employment makes you eligible for training benefits, the department will look at the last job you held for a period of at least seven weeks that was in employment covered by Title 50 RCW or the comparable laws of another state.
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Except as provided in Chapter 2, Section 8(3), Laws of 2000, you are unlikely to return to employment if:
(1) You have:
(a) Become unemployed due to a permanent plant closure;
(b) Received a federal WARN act notice; or
(c) Received a notice of indefinite layoff as a result of a permanent reduction of operations at your place of employment; and
(2) Suitable work for individuals with your skills is in diminishing demand within your labor market in your principal occupation or previous industry.
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(1) Employment in the following SIC codes is considered employment in the aerospace industry:
| 3721 | Aircraft |
| 3724 | Aircraft engines and engine parts |
| 3728 | Aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment |
| 336411 | Aircraft manufacturing |
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(1) As provided in Chapter 2, Section 8 (2)(b), Laws of 2000, the department has determined that employment in industries assigned the following SIC or NAICS codes is considered employment in the forest products industry:
(a) SIC codes:
| 24 | Lumber and wood products, except furniture |
| 26 | Paper and allied products |
| 08 | Forestry |
| 2861 | Gum and wood chemicals |
| 3553 | Woodworking machinery |
| 3554 | Paper industry machinery manufacturing |
| 5031 | Lumber, plywood, millwork and wood panels |
| 321 | Wood product manufacturing |
| 322 | Paper manufacturing |
| 113110 | Timber tract operations |
| 113210 | Forest nurseries and gathering of forest products |
| 113310 | Logging |
| 115310 | Support activities for forestry |
| 325191 | Gum and wood chemical manufacturing |
| 333210 | Sawmill and woodworking machinery manufacturing |
| 333291 | Paper industry machinery manufacturing |
| 337110 | Wood kitchen cabinet and countertop manufacturing |
| 421310 | Lumber, plywood, millwork and wood panel wholesalers |
(a) SIC codes:
| 2823 | Cellulosic manmade fibers |
| 3425 | Saw blades and handsaws |
| 3531 | Construction machinery and equipment (trucks, off-highway; chippers; draglines; log splitters; logging equipment) |
| 3711 | Motor vehicles and passenger car bodies (tractors, truck: for highway use) |
| 4212 | Local trucking without storage (log trucking; trucking timber) |
| 4449 | Water transportation of freight, NEC (log rafting and towing) |
| 4491 | Marine cargo handling |
| 5113 | Industrial and personal service paper |
| 325221 | Cellulosic organic fiber manufacturing |
| 332213 | Saw blade and handsaw manufacturing |
| 333120 | Construction machinery manufacturing |
| 333414 | Heating equipment (except warm air furnace) manufacturing |
| 336120 | Heavy duty truck manufacturing |
| 337215 | Showcase, partition, shelving and locker manufacturing |
| 422130 | Industrial and personal service paper wholesalers |
| 484220 | Specialized freight trucking, local |
| 483211 | Inland water freight transportation |
(a) The planting and/or cultivation of trees for eventual harvest for lumber or paper manufacturing;
(b) The harvest of logs for lumber or pulp production;
(c) Hauling logs;
(d) Hauling lumber or paper products from point of manufacture;
(e) Scaling logs;
(f) Repair of logging trucks or equipment;
(g) Manufacture of wood processing or logging equipment;
(i) Sale, rental or leasing of wood processing or logging equipment; or
(j) Other activities clearly involved in the forest products industry, even if performed for an employer whose primary business is not in the forest products industry.
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Employment reported in industries assigned SIC code 0912, Finfish (commercial fishing), or NAICS code 114111, Fishing (finfish), is considered to be employment in the fishing industry.
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Information about training benefits will be included in the claimant information booklet mailed to you at the time you file your application for unemployment benefits (see WAC 192-120-010).
(1) Submitting a training plan. You have 60 calendar days to submit a training plan to the department for approval, beginning on the date you are notified by the department about the eligibility requirements for training benefits. For new claims, the deadline will be 65 calendar days from the date your application for benefits is filed, which represents 60 days plus five days for the booklet to reach you by mail.
(2) Enrollment in training. You must be enrolled in training within 90 calendar days, beginning on the date you are notified by the department about the eligibility requirements for training benefits. For new claims, the deadline will be 95 calendar days from the date your application for benefits is filed, which represents 90 days plus five days for the booklet to reach you by mail.
(3) If you return to work, and subsequently become unemployed, the timeframes described in subsections (1) and (2) begin with the date you file your additional claim for benefits.
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To receive training benefits, you must be enrolled in an approved training program on a full-time basis as determined by the educational institution. You are enrolled in training if:
(1) You have preregistered for classes or are on a waiting list; and
(2) You have a starting date of training; and
(3) The starting date is not more than one quarter or term away.
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The following information must be included in your application for training benefits:
(1) Your name and Social Security account number;
(2) The name of the educational institution;
(3) The address of the educational institution;
(4) The department of the educational institution, if applicable;
(5) The name of the training program;
(6) A description of the training program, including remedial requirements if necessary;
(7) Your enrollment date or your place on the waiting list and expected enrollment date;
(8) The duration of the training program, including the dates you plan to begin and complete training;
(9) The occupation(s) trained for;
(10) A verification of your enrollment provided by the educational institution;
(11) A release of information form authorizing the educational institution to release grades, attendance, and other measures of program progress to the department; and
(12) Your signature.
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(1) The department will consider the following factors when reviewing your application for training benefits:
(a) Whether suitable employment is available in your labor market;
(b) Your plan for completion of the training including, but not limited to, what financial resources you intend to use to fund the complete training plan;
(c) Whether you have the qualifications and aptitudes to successfully complete the training;
(d) Whether the training relates to a high demand occupation, meaning that the number of job openings in the labor market for the occupation or with that skill set exceeds the supply of qualified workers;
(e) Whether the training is likely to enhance your marketable skills and earning power, based on an assessment of what your employment prospects would be if training were not approved; and
(f) Effective July 1, 2001, whether the educational institution meets the performance criteria established by the workforce training and education coordinating board. Until June 30, 2001, a vocational training program at an educational institution is presumed to meet the performance criteria if it is a:
(i) Public community or technical college;
(ii) Public university;
(iii) Registered apprenticeship program;
(iv) Private vocational school licensed by the workforce training and education board, the higher education coordinating board, the department of licensing, or a comparable agency in another state;
(v) Private college or university that is eligible to received federal funds under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965; or
(vi) Private provider of vocational training services currently authorized by a private industry council in accordance with P.L. 97-300, Section 107, Selection of Service Providers.
(2) Academic training may be approved if it meets the criteria of subsection (1) and it meets specific requirements for certification, licensing, or specific skills necessary for the occupation.
(3) The department may approve educational training that has been identified as necessary by the training facility as a prerequisite to a vocational training program that meets the criteria of subsection (1).
(4) In the case of individuals with physical or sensory disabilities, or in other unusual circumstances, a written decision of the commissioner may waive any of the requirements of this section on an individual basis.
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Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
NEW SECTION
WAC 192-270-055
Funding--Waiting lists.
Payment of training benefits is contingent upon the availability of funding. Training will not be approved under Chapter 2, Laws of 2000, unless the department has determined that funds are available to support your training plan.
(1) The amount of funds obligated will be the amount necessary to complete your training plan or the maximum amount authorized by Chapter 2, Section 8 (5)(a), Laws of 2000, whichever is less.
(2) If you have been denied training benefits due to lack of funds, the department will consider whether you are eligible for commissioner approved training under WAC 192-200-020.
(3) Funds will be obligated in the following order:
(a) First, otherwise eligible dislocated workers who are enrolled in training approved by the department as of February 13, 2000;
(b) Second, other eligible dislocated workers on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the date the completed training application is received by the department.
(4) Once all available funds have been obligated, individuals who have been denied training benefits due solely to the lack of funds will be placed on a waiting list. Priority on the waiting list will be determined by the date the claimant's completed training application was received by the department. As additional funds become available, this date will be used when obligating funds to claimants on the waiting list. In the event two or more claimants on the waiting list have the same date, priority will be given to that person who is closest to exhausting regular unemployment benefits.
(5) An individual's name may be removed from the waiting list when the department determines it is appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to:
(a) Written correspondence to the claimant from the department is returned by the U.S. postal service for lack of a current address, and the claimant has not filed a change of address with the department;
(b) The claimant fails to respond to written correspondence from the department by the date indicated in the correspondence;
(c) The claimant is not enrolled in or making satisfactory progress in full-time training; or
(d) Two or more years have elapsed since the end of the claimant's regular benefit year.
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A training plan may be approved in an occupation not in demand in your local labor market if:
(1) The occupation is in high demand in another labor market; and
(2) You are willing and able to relocate to that labor market when the training is completed; and
(3) There is not a current demand for workers with your present skills in that labor market. The demand for workers in that labor market must be at wages comparable to those paid in your current labor market, based on any differences in the cost of living between the two areas.
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In order to continue your eligibility for training benefits, the certification that you are making satisfactory progress in full-time training must be signed by the registrar or an equivalent person designated by your educational institution.
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(1) You must notify the department immediately upon making a significant modification to your approved training plan. A significant modification is one that impacts any of the approval criteria listed in WAC 192-270-050 and includes, but is not limited to, changes in:
(a) Your course of study or major;
(b) The educational institution;
(c) The projected start or end dates for the training; or
(d) Your enrolled credit hours.
(2) The department must determine your continued eligibility for training benefits any time you make a significant modification to your training plan, using the criteria listed in WAC 192-270-050. Approval of a modification that increases the projected cost of the training is subject to the availability of funding.
(3) In general, you may make a significant modification to your plan one time. Subsequent modifications will not be approved except in unusual individual circumstances. However, this restriction does not apply while you are enrolled in educational courses that are a prerequisite to vocational training.
(4) Any benefits paid after a modification to your training plan that has not been approved by the department constitute an overpayment and are subject to recovery under RCW 50.20.190.
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The following sections of the Washington Administrative Code are repealed:
| WAC 192-16-011 | Interpretative regulations--Leaving work to accept bona fide job offer -- RCW 50.20.050 (2)(a) |
| WAC 192-16-017 | Interpretative regulations -- Satisfying disqualifications under RCW 50.20.050 (1) and (4), 50.20.060 and 50.20.080 |