Recognizing legal unions from other states as state registered domestic partnerships (HB 2482)

This bill would provide that validly formed same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions be recognized as state-registered domestic partnerships in the state of Washington and therefore potentially impact your employer provided benefits. The bill is now in the House Rules Committee.

Creating a task force to study and report on the state’s workers’ compensation system (SB 6775)

This bill would direct the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to convene a task force to evaluate and recommend methods to improve the coordination and provision of quality, timely medical treatment; methods to improve outcomes for, and shorten the duration of, long-term disability claims; and methods to refine and resolve systemic liabilities and long-term pension trends.

The task force would consist of seven members appointed by the director of L&I upon consultation with the workers' compensation advisory committee and the Governor. Three of the members must be labor representatives, one of which is a member of the workers' compensation advisory committee; and three of the members must be business representatives, one of which is a member of the workers' compensation advisory committee. The seventh member is a representative of L&I, who acts as the task force chair.

The task force must periodically report to the director, the workers' compensation advisory committee, and the appropriate standing committees of the Legislature with a final report to submit to the Legislature in December 2010. The final report must include task force recommendations for changes to the workers' compensation system that will improve positive outcomes for workers, increase accountability and system efficiency, and improve cost predictability. This bill is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate on Labor Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee at 10 am on Monday, February 1.

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