Senate committee reports bill to double STEP contribution from unemployment payments

For the record, Conrad Jackson, staff to Senator Bjorkman, told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee that Senate Bill 159 would raise the contribution to the STEP program from "1 tenth of 1% to 2 tenths of 1%." The committee reported the bill out with individual recommendations and three attached fiscal notes after a brief recap and no sustained questions.

The bill concerns the state STEP (Supportive Training and Employment Program) contribution that is currently taken from already-deducted unemployment insurance payments. Jackson told the committee the change was requested by the department and that "we've seen demonstrated needs for that additional funding." No further committee debate was recorded in the meeting before a motion to report the bill passed by unanimous consent.

Senate committee Chair Senator Bjorkman opened the hearing as the group’s third session on SB 159; earlier hearings included a full presentation, sectional review and both invited and public testimony, the chair said. After Jackson’s recap, a senator moved "to report Senate Bill 159 version 34-Lima Sierra 0615 back from committee with individual recommendations and attach 3 fiscal notes." Hearing no objection, the chair said SB 159 "is reported from committee with individual recommendations and 3 attached fiscal notes." The committee took a short recess to sign paperwork.

The committee did not vote on an implementation date nor specify any subsequent steps in the transcript; the action recorded is a committee report with recommendations and attached fiscal notes. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript.

The committee noted the bill is at the department’s request and signaled further legislative processing via the committee report. No public testimony on details of STEP funding allocations or projected dollar totals for the increased contribution was given in this session.