PERMANENT RULES
Effective Date of Rule: January 1, 2008.
Purpose: The rules implement 2007 legislation authorizing the department to pay benefits to unemployment insurance claimants who are participating in approved entrepreneurial training with the goal of becoming self-employed. The rules also describe the model the department will use to identify claimants who are most likely to exhaust benefits.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 192-12-186; and amending WAC 192-200-005, 192-200-010, 192-200-020, and 192-200-030.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, 50.20.010, and 50.20.250(7).
Other Authority: RCW 50.20.012.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 07-20-121 on October 3, 2007.
A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Juanita Myers, P.O. Box 9046, Olympia, WA 98507-9046, phone (360) 902-9665, fax (360) 902-9799, e-mail jmyers@esd.wa.gov.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 6, Amended 4, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 6, Amended 4, Repealed 1.
Date Adopted: November 20, 2007.
Paul Trause
Deputy Commissioner
(2) Model. Take all valid claims with a benefit year ending date that falls within a specified two-year time period. Screen out (a) members of unions participating in the referral union program (see WAC 192-210-100) and (b) claimants who do not have a job search requirement (employer attached, in approved training, or unemployed due to strike or lockout) during the first payable week. For the remaining claimants with a job search requirement, statistically combine information on industry, occupation and other personal characteristics, and labor market characteristics to generate a numerical score indicating the likelihood of exhausting benefits before finding work. The scores may range from 0% (no likelihood of exhaustion) to 100% (certainty of exhaustion). Rank claimants based on their individual score from least likely to most likely to exhaust.
[]
(2) Period of disqualification. The disqualification
starts with the week the instruction begins or the week you
left employment to return to school, whichever is earlier. The disqualification ends at midnight on Saturday of the week
prior to the first full week in which you are no longer
registered for 12 or more hours of instruction. You ((will be
required to)) must certify to the department that you are not
currently registered for 12 or more credit hours and will not
be registered for 12 or more credit hours for at least 60
days. If you begin classes within 60 days, all benefits paid
since the date of your certification will be considered an
overpayment. This overpayment is subject to recovery under
RCW 50.20.190. If you are registered for classes that begin
more than 60 days in the future, you will not be disqualified
under this subsection.
(3) Disqualification not applicable. The disqualification does not apply if you:
(a) Are in approved training ((as provided by)) under RCW 50.20.043;
(b) Are in an approved self-employment assistance program under RCW 50.20.250; or
(((b))) (c) ((When you apply, you demonstrate)) Show by a
preponderance of the evidence that your student status does
not significantly interfere with your actual availability for
work when you apply.
(4) Definitions. As used in this section:
(a) "School" includes primary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 50.44.037;
(b) "Scholastic instruction" includes all teaching or
opportunity for learning subjects other than those of a
strictly vocational nature. Subjects of a vocational nature
are those embraced in the definition of "training" contained
in WAC 192-200-((005))010.
(c) "Twelve or more hours per week" means 12 or more credit hours per week or its equivalent;
(d) "Preponderance of evidence" means evidence sufficient to persuade a reasonable person considering all the evidence that the proposal is more probably true than not true.
(5) Students. Students who claim benefits are subject to all of the provisions of Title 50 RCW including:
(a) RCW 50.20.050 dealing with those who leave work voluntarily without good cause;
(b) RCW 50.20.010 (1)(c) requiring claimants to be able and available for and actively seeking work; and
(c) RCW 50.20.240 requiring claimants to provide evidence of their job search activities as requested by the department.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, 50.12.042. 05-01-076, § 192-200-005, filed 12/9/04, effective 1/9/05.]
(a) ((a)) A course of education with the primary purpose
of training in skills that will allow you to obtain
employment.
(b) A self-employment assistance program that includes entrepreneurial training, approved by the commissioner, that will allow you to become self-employed.
(2) The term "training" does not include ((beginning)) a
course of education primarily intended to meet the
requirements of a baccalaureate or higher degree.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, 50.12.042. 05-01-076, § 192-200-010, filed 12/9/04, effective 1/9/05.]
(2) What factors will the department consider when reviewing my application? The department will consider the following factors:
(a) Your plan for completion of the training;
(b) The nature of the training facility and the quality of the training;
(c) Whether the training relates to an occupation or skill for which there are, or are expected to be, reasonable employment opportunities in the labor markets in which you intend to seek work;
(d) Whether an oversupply of qualified workers exists;
(e) Whether you have the qualifications and aptitudes to successfully complete such training; and
(f) Whether your employment prospects in occupations in which you have training or experience do not exist or have substantially diminished in the labor market to the extent that the department determines you will probably be unemployed for a lengthy period. These diminished prospects could be the result of business or economic conditions in the area, or due to personal reasons such as your health, physical fitness, criminal background, or other circumstances of a similar nature.
(3) What about training that is required by my job? The commissioner will approve training that is required within an occupation if:
(a) The training is a condition of your continued employment;
(b) The scheduling of the training is determined by your employer or a work related entity, and not by you (the claimant); and
(c) The training meets the requirements of subsections (2)(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
(4) Can academic training be approved? An academic training course may be approved if the conditions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section are met, and the training meets specific requirements for certification, licensing, or specific skills necessary for the occupation.
(5) Can these requirements be waived? In the case of individuals with physical or sensory handicaps, or in other unusual individual circumstances, a written decision of the commissioner may waive any of the requirements of this section on an individual basis.
(6) This section does not apply to training in a self-employment assistance program under RCW 50.20.250.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 50.20.010 and 50.12.040. 99-08-073, § 192-200-020, filed 4/5/99, effective 5/6/99.]
(a) The training must be full-time as defined by the training facility, including skills training classes designated as full-time by the local WorkSource administrator; and
(b) You must be making satisfactory progress in training
((as defined in WAC 192-270-065)). Except as provided in
subsection (c), "satisfactory progress" is defined in WAC 192-270-065; or
(c) If you are enrolled in an approved self-employment assistance program under RCW 50.20.250, "satisfactory progress" means you are attending classes and participating in other activities related to setting up a business within the timeframes outlined in your approved training plan.
(d) The certification that you are making satisfactory progress in full-time training must be signed by the registrar or equivalent person designated by the training facility.
(2) You must notify the department if you discontinue or suspend training, change your course of study, or reduce enrollment to less than full-time.
(3) If your enrollment drops below full-time or you are not making satisfactory progress, you may be required to show that you are meeting the availability for work and job search requirements of RCW 50.20.010 (1)(c) and 50.20.240, and the provisions of RCW 50.20.080 regarding failure to apply for, or refusal to accept suitable work.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 50.12.010, 50.12.040, 50.12.042. 05-01-076, § 192-200-030, filed 12/9/04, effective 1/9/05.]
(a) Be otherwise eligible for regular unemployment benefits;
(b) Have been identified by the department as likely to exhaust regular unemployment benefits using the profiling model established under RCW 50.20.011 and WAC 192-180-060; and
(c) Enroll and satisfactorily participate in a self-employment assistance program approved by the commissioner.
(2) Likely to exhaust. The department will use the following process to identify claimants who are likely to exhaust for purposes of the self-employment assistance program:
(a) Assign profile scores to individuals with a claim ending during the most recent federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30) using the model described in WAC 192-180-060.
(b) Find the number of these claimants who actually exhausted regular unemployment benefits and determine their percentage of the entire profiled population;
(c) The result will determine the percentile of profiled scores that will be identified as likely to exhaust. For example, assume during the most recent federal fiscal year, 15 percent of profiled claimants actually exhaust benefits. This means the 85th percentile of profile scores will be used to identify claimants who are likely to exhaust.
(d) Determine the lowest score assigned to claimants within this group.
(e) Claimants with that score or higher who file new claims during the following calendar year will be notified by the department they are potentially eligible for the self-employment assistance program.
(3) Satisfactory participation. The department will consider you to be satisfactorily participating if you are making satisfactory progress as defined in WAC 192-200-030 (1)(c).
[]
(a) Entrepreneurial training;
(b) Business counseling;
(c) Technical assistance; and
(d) Requirements to engage in other activities relating to setting up a business and becoming self-employed.
(2) The commissioner will develop and maintain a list of approved training providers.
[]
(1) That you have an adequate financial plan for completing training if your unemployment benefits run out before you complete training;
(2) That you have the qualifications and aptitudes to successfully complete the training; and
(3) That you have certified you will not compete with your former employer for up to one year after completing your training program.
(4) If you modify your training plan, the changes must be approved in advance by your training provider and the department.
[]
(2) If you complete your training program before your unemployment benefits run out, you are no longer eligible for benefits unless you meet the availability for work and job search requirements of RCW 50.20.010 (1)(c).
[]
(2) If you have been removed from the program because you failed to participate in a training plan, you will not be able to re-enroll in the program during your current benefit year.
[]
The following section of the Washington Administrative
Code is hereby repealed:
WAC 192-12-186 | Training--Commissioner approval or denial of training. |