The joint legislative task force on the underground economy in the Washington state construction industry is reestablished. For purposes of this section, "underground economy" means contracting and construction activities in which payroll is unreported or underreported with consequent nonpayment of payroll taxes to federal and state agencies including nonpayment of workers' compensation and unemployment compensation taxes.
The purpose of the task force is to undertake a study on the nature and scope of the underground economy and to recommend what policy changes, if any, are needed to address the underground economy, including whether greater cohesion and transparency among state agencies is needed. To assist the task force in achieving this goal and to determine the extent of and projected costs to the state and workers of the underground economy in the construction industry, the task force shall contract with the institute for public policy, or, if the institute is unavailable, another entity with expertise capable of providing such assistance.
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The task force shall consist of the following members:
A member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;
A member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
Four members representing the construction business, selected from nominations submitted by statewide construction business organizations and appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives;
Four members representing construction laborers, selected from nominations submitted by statewide labor organizations and appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives; and
One representative from the state attorney general's office.
In addition, the employment security department, the department of labor and industries, and the department of revenue shall cooperate with the task force and shall each maintain a liaison representative, who is a nonvoting member of the task force. The departments shall cooperate with the task force and the institute for public policy, or other entity as appropriate, and shall provide information and data as the task force or the institute, or other entity as appropriate, may reasonably request.
The task force shall choose its chair or cochairs from among its legislative membership. The legislative members shall convene the initial meeting of the task force.
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The task force shall use legislative facilities and staff support shall be provided by senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research. Within available funding, the task force may hire additional staff with specific technical expertise if such expertise is necessary to carry out the mandates of this study.
Legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
The expenses of the task force will be paid jointly by the senate and house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2022.