04/15/2002 01:57 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 504                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the wages of people working in the                                                                     
     fisheries business."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hudson  MOVED to report CSHB 504  (FIN) out of                                                                   
Committee with the accompanying  fiscal note.  Representative                                                                   
John Davies  OBJECTED.  He thought that  the Committee  would                                                                   
need to rescind the previous action.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MIKE TIBBLES, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE  WILLIAMS, explained that                                                                   
according   to  discussions  with   Tamara  Cook,   Director,                                                                   
Legislative Legal and Research  Services, Legislative Affairs                                                                   
Agency,  committees   are  charged  with   disbursing  bills.                                                                   
Therefore  the questioned  comes  to whether  or  not a  bill                                                                   
needs to be renewed or action rescinded.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
TAPE HFC 02 - 84, Side A                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Tibbles stressed that the  Committee has the authority to                                                                   
act on bills. Discussion continued regarding the motion.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Croft spoke to  the bill. He maintained  that                                                                   
it  ignores the  substantial  difference  between remote  and                                                                   
non-remote sites  and would be a major step  backward because                                                                   
it provides a major exception to the minimum wage law.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative John Davies spoke  against the legislation. He                                                                   
noted that legislators that are  more than 50 miles away from                                                                   
their  homes receive  a  different per  diem  rate. The  same                                                                   
distinction  needs to  be  made for  workers  at the  minimum                                                                   
wage.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Harris  spoke  against  the  legislation.  He                                                                   
thought  that the legislation  would open  exceptions  to the                                                                   
minimum wage  for other entities.  He expressed  concern that                                                                   
other employees would be impacted  when going to places where                                                                   
housing is not available.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Lancaster   expressed   concern   with   the                                                                   
legislation. He  questioned what  would happen to  the person                                                                   
that lives in a tent.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Williams emphasized that  the legislation would help                                                                   
commercial fishermen by keeping processors in business.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR: Bunde, Foster, Hudson,  Lancaster, Mulder, Williams                                                                   
OPPOSED: Whitaker, Croft, Davies, Harris                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carl Moses was absent from the vote.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
The MOTION PASSED (6-4).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  504 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with  new zero  fiscal note  by the                                                                   
House  Finance  Committee for  the  Department  of Labor  and                                                                   
Workforce Development.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  504 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with a new zero fiscal  note by the                                                                   
House  Finance  Committee for  the  Department  of Labor  and                                                                   
Workforce Development.