Task Force on Family Leave Insurance Begins Work

The Joint Legislative Task Force on Family Leave Insurance held its first meeting in Olympia on Wednesday, August 22.

Late last session, the Legislature adopted ESSB 5659, which establishes a family leave insurance program effective October 1, 2009. The program will provide benefits of up to $250 per week for up to five weeks of leave taken for the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption.

Because legislators could not agree on how to pay for the new benefit, or which state agency should administer the program, the legislation outlined the framework only, creating a task force to tackle the other issues.

The task force is required to study:

• Financing for benefits and administrative costs;
• Program implementation and administration;
• Government efficiencies which improve program administration and reduce program costs; and
• Impacts, if any, on the unemployment compensation system and options for mitigating such impacts.

It may also consider and make recommendations on other issues. Early drafts of the legislation had the Department of Labor and Industries administering the program, funded by a 2 cent per work hour premium paid by employees.

The 13-member task force, co-chaired by Rep. Karen Keiser and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2008. Six other legislators serve on the task force, along with five members representing business, labor, and advocates for family leave. Here's a list of all members of the task force; there is no local government representation on the task force.

Legislative Members

• Senator Karen Keiser, Co-Chair
• Representative Marylou Dickerson, Co-Chair
• Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles
• Senator Jim Clements
• Senator Jan้a Holmquist
• Representative Steve Conway
• Representative Cary Condotta
• Representative Bruce Chandler

Non-Legislative Members

• Judy Coovert, PrintCom, Inc. – representing small business
• Susan Fagan, Schweitzer Engineering Labs, Inc. – representing large business
• Pam Crone, Washington State Labor Council – representing labor
• Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, momsrising.org – representing advocates for family leave
• Marilyn Watkins, Economic Opportunity Institute – gubernatorial appointment

Future Task Force Meeting Dates

The task force did not make any decisions during the August 22 meeting, addressing mainly administrative and procedural issues. They agreed to meet three additional times before the end of the year.

The next meeting will be held the afternoon of Wednesday, September 26 in Olympia, with additional meetings on October 17 and on November 14. December 13 has also been reserved as a potential meeting date, if needed.

If you have questions about the work of the task force, you can contact Jill Reinmuth, counsel to the House Commerce & Labor Committee (reinmuth.jill@leg.wa.gov) or Jennifer Strus, counsel to the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee (strus.jennifer@leg.wa.gov).

 
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