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With the passage of HB1432/SB5841, permitting private employers to exercise a voluntary veterans’ preference in employment, Washington will be the first state in the country to honor our veterans with this kind of employment preference.

Introduced by Representative Jay Rodne, the legislation passed the state Senate unanimously and the state House 94-4.  Championed by Hire America's Heroes, the Chamber was supportive of this legislation as part of our TEACH agenda for workforce development.

S5307, with Sen. Derek Kilmer as prime sponsor, has just passed the State House and is now on its way to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her approval before becoming law.

• denturists;
• dispensing opticians;
• ocularists;
• pharmacy assistants;
• physician assistants;
• osteopathic physician assistants;
• emergency medical technicians;
• radiologic technologists;
• nursing assistants;
• respiratory care practitioners;
• health care assistants;
• surgical technologists;
• dental assistants;
• expanded function dental auxiliaries;
• physical therapists; and
• physical therapy assistants.

Our community welcomes these professionals and their skills and the health care industry looks forward to this skills workforce helping alleviate the shortage in the healthcare industry.

The legislative process:

ESSB 5307

Description: Concerning evaluating military training and experience toward meeting licensing requirements in medical professions.
Sponsors: Senators Kilmer, Hewitt, Regala, Conway, Kastama, Hobbs, King, Rockefeller, Swecker, Roach
Companion Bill: HB 1417

-- 2011 REGULAR SESSION --

• Jan 20  First reading, referred to Health & Long-Term Care.
• Jan 24  Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
• Jan 27  Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care
• Jan 28  HEA - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass
•             Passed to Rules Committee for second reading
• Feb 1   Placed on second reading by Rules Committee
• Feb 28 1st substitute bill substituted (HEA 11)  Floor amendment(s) adopted
•             Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading
•             Third reading, passed; yeas, 46; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 3

-- IN THE HOUSE --

• Mar 1  First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness
• Mar 9  Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness
• Mar 16 Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness
•             HCW - Executive action taken by committee
•             HCW - Majority; do pass
• Mar 21 Passed to Rules Committee for second reading
• Mar 23 Placed on second reading by Rules Committee
• Apr 1   Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading
•            Third reading, passed; yeas, 93; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 4

Egils Milbergs, Executive Director, Washington Economic Development Commission, shared at the Chamber's Military Affairs Forum, an overview of the latest economic impact report:  Washington State's Defense Economy.

Milbergs' presentation was not one-dimensional, as he cast the defense/military industrial sector within the global challenges between nations and economies.  His drill down thesis was how Washington State was going to be an economic winner in the 21st Century.

In exploring these economic dynamics, Milbergs didn't leave us with a question, but posed the actions for an initiative by the State in pursuing and achieving our economic goals.

The next step, deciding among ourselves and convincing our State's leadership of our challenges, our in-hand assets and our opportunities.

MILITARY AFFAIRS FORUM

Date & Time: WEDNESDAY, Oct. 13, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Place: La Quinta Inn, 1425 E. 27th St., Tacoma 98421
Price: $13.00 pre-paid on or before Oct. 8
$15.00 pre-paid after Oct. 8
$20.00 walk-ins/at the door
Information: Monique Shields, (253) 627.2175
RSVP: DUE 12 noon, Oct. 11 (Monday)
Register: Online Link

Featuring:

Egils Milbergs, Executive Director, Washington Economic Development Commission
“The Impact of the Defense/Military Industry in Washington State”

Mr. Milbergs, Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission, will present the recent report prepared by Berk and Associates for the WEDC: Washington State's Defense Economy: Measuring & Growing the Impact. The purpose of the report is to: 1) Create an updated analysis of the economic impact of Washington's bases and defense-relate economy; 2) Identify new and emerging opportunities for WA-based businesses based on trends in national defense strategy; and 3) Develop recommendations for a statewide economic development strategy building on the military presence and expanding Washington's share of national defense contracting.

The Washington Economic Development Commission is an independent, non-partisan commission charged by the legislature with the mission of creating a comprehensive statewide strategy to guide investments in economic development, infrastructure, workforce training, small business assistance, technology transfer and export assistance. The WEDC membership is comprised of business, labor, academic, associations and government leaders

The report is online at: http://www.wedc.wa.gov/Publications.htm should you wish to review it before the meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

C-9 Blog
The Chamber’s newest blog: C-9 Blog, focuses on the armed forces and civilian relationships, with an emphasis on the Pacific Northwest. Please visit and subscribe to this free information source.

2010-11 Calendar: as of Aug. 18, 2010

Chamber on Facebook
You can now find an official Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Facebook page on the popular networking site used by over half a billion people.

The Chamber testified this afternoon for Sen. Derek Kilmer's SB5041, a bill to encourage advocacy in state government contracting and purchases from veteran-owned businesses (VOB).

In speaking, Gary Brackett, Manager, Business and Trade, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber noted that the most recent Census of Business identified 2 million US firms with one or more US military vets as majority owners.  That's 12.2% of small businesses, of which over half (51.8%) operated from a home.  A quarter of vet-owned businesses had paid employees and 7% vet business owners were service-disabled.

Just last week, the Chamber referred a DoD prime contractor at Fort Lewis to the veteran-owned business registry of the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.

The National Veteran Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) notes that vets (1 in 7) are twice as likely to own a business as the general populace (1 in 14). 

The basics of our modern economic system, including the unfettered movement of labor to opportunities, is also that division of labor (into specialists), gains us greater efficiencies.

Not so with the division of labor into infinitely disparate pieces as a report earlier this year identified multitudinous state agencies (see list at end) responsible for professional licenses or certificates. This might not be all that important were it not that about 2,400 of our state's citizens have just returned from foreign (Iraq) deployment as Guardsmen serving the goals of our nation. That lengthy time may have presented them with numerous obstacles to overcome when they are mustered out (of active service). The least of them should be in picking up their jobs or professions.

Yes, there is federal legislation giving them and requiring employers to accommodate their return to their jobs. But many occupations now are tied to professional licenses and certificates.

Sen. Derek Kilmer placed a budget proviso in the state's 2008 budget requiring the state's Department of Licensing (DOL) and Department of Health (DOH) - responsible for the bulk of professional licensing programs - to determine processes for relicensing or re-certificating Guardsmen or Reservists who have served on active duty but are now returning to civilian life.

Both departments found some procedures in place for their respective departments to do so. However, in the report the DOH suggested they could do a better job of informing returning vets of their recertification process. The DOL suggested they do a sufficient job based on responses from returning vets.

There are other states our state could look to for providing support or best practices in an automatic extension of professional licenses:
–Approximately 13 states recognized as providing support: AZ, DE, GA, HI, KY, KS, MN, MS, MT, NJ, NY, UT, WI
–Best practice states (statutes) : AZ (32-4301), DE (215) (Formerly Senate Bill No. 206), GA (43-1-31), HI (HB295 HD1), KS (34.48), MN (197.65), MS (33-1-39), MT (37-1-138), WI (321.60)

Please note that WA is not in either of these lists.

In addition to the DOH and DOL, these Washington State agencies issue licenses or certificates for professions or occupational certifications:

1. Board of Accountancy
2. Office of the Insurance Commissioner
3. Department of Social and Health Services
4. Liquor Control Board
5. Labor and Industries
6. Department of Early Learning
7. Department of Agriculture
8. Department of Financial Institutions
9. Department of Ecology
10. Fish and Wildlife
11. Washington State Patrol
12. Secretary of State
13. and acknowledged but unnamed others

Governor Gregoire took a positive step when she lead her administration and the state's higher educational institutions and workforce boards to support veterans on campuses.

The Memorandum of Understanding, Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses, defines a new partnership on behalf of the Governor, departments in her administration, the Washington National Guard, the state's colleges and universities, the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the State Board for Technical and Community Colleges and the Workforce Training and Education Board.

The partners agree:

• increase awareness of veteran's programs on and off campuses
• provide staff with a core set of veteran cultural competencies
• encourage campuses to implement best practices and policies designed to foster vets
• encourage vets to use the GI bill
• help vets succeed in higher ed and training
• ensure staff and vets have access to Washington Dept. of Veterans Affairs and its local and federal partners

The Chamber has specifically called upon the state to adopt policy and procedures to allow service members separating from duty to receive credit for applicable skill sets and education acquired while in service.

Two points in the MOU are:

1. continue work with the Legislature, workforce and higher ed communities to...transfer, credit for prior experience...
2. shortening the time for veterans to receive a credential or degree through: a) expanding credit for prior learning and b) developing articulation and transfer agreements...

After years of hard work and consensus building, a bill to improve the education of military children in Washington has finally become law.

About a dozen military leaders, educators and parents watched as Senate Bill 5248, which was sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, was signed into law.

This is something that military families have needed and wanted for years, Hobbs said. These families move from post to post and they shouldn’t have to sacrifice so much in terms of educational opportunities. This is a good bill that will help tens of thousands of military kids in our state.

The legislation, among other things, promotes flexibility and cooperation between school districts, parents, and students in order to achieve educational success for the student; improves the placement process so that students are not disadvantaged by variations in attendance requirements, scheduling, grading, and course content; and improves qualification and eligibility requirements so that students can enroll and participate in extracurricular academic, athletic, and social activities. The bill also facilitates on-time graduation.

17 states have now joined the compact.


Photo: Governor Gregoire, and some supporters of the legislation. Thursday, May 07 2009 - Steve Hobbs

The Washington State Senate at 5PM Monday concurred with the House amendment on SSB 5248 and voted 43-1-1 to pass the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Now on to Governor Gregoire, who is expected to sign it.

The House amendment struck the null & void clause for funding that was in the Senate's original bill. The fiscal note will indeed be funded at $49K annually, out of the state budget.

Many thanks to all who helped in this effort, including the Task Force membership, military family-friendly legislators, the Puget Sound Regional Council, School District Superintendents, OSPI leaders, School Liaisons from the military installations, the Tacoma News Tribune, and most especially to the military families who showed up to testify. Sincere thanks go to Senator Steve Hobbs and Representative Christine Rolfes, our diligent sponsors for this effort.

As the seventh largest military state, our 29,000 active duty military-dependent school children, and activated Guard/Reserve member school children, will now join at least 14 other states (the compact is now on the Governors' desks in Alaska, Maryland and Hawaii, with other states to follow) as a compact state seeking a level playing field for the difficult school transition issues that arise when military families move from state to state while serving our Nation.

As soon as we know of the bill signing ceremony, Mark San Souci will pass on the time and place for those interested in attending. The effective date of the bill is 90 days after adjournment of the legislative session in which the bill is passed: July 25, 2009.

As we learn more about implementation of the compact in our state, based on creation of the State Council prescribed in the law, Mark will pass that information on to you also.

It's a great day for our military families!