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• Introduced by Rep. Tim Probst, (D-Vancouver) (D) on February 16, 2009, establishes an evergreen jobs authority to ensure that the state's workforce is prepared for the new green economy. Ensures that the state attracts investment and job creation in the green economy and seeks to make Washington a net exporter of green energy technology and components.
  • Referred to the House Community and Economic Development and Trade Committee on February 16, 2009.
    • Substitute offered in the House on February 19, 2009, adjusts language for consistency, i.e., "green jobs economy" to "green economy." Lists the primary industries of the green economy, including: clean energy; green building; green transportation; and environmental protection. Deletes duplicative references and consistently defines "target populations." The Authority is established as provided in law. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on February 19, 2009.
  • Referred to the House Education Appropriations Committee on February 23, 2009.
    • Substitute offered in the House on February 26, 2009, eliminates the Evergreen Jobs Authority. Establishes the Washington State Evergreen Jobs Initiative, listing seven primary goals, including creating 15,000 new green economy jobs by 2020 and attracting private sector investment that will result in job creation and expansion. Requires Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board to convene a working group with representation from a broad range of state, local, public, and private organizations. Outlines duties of the working group. Also specifies that community and technical college high demand funding authorized for the 2009-11 fiscal biennium will be subject to prioritization for workforce training related to green economy jobs. Requires the working group to terminate if it fails to secure competitive federal funding by December 31, 2010. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on February 26, 2009.
  • Referred to the House Rules Committee on March 2, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Tim Probst, (D-Vancouver) (D) on March 9, 2009, to make the following changes through a striker amendment: to clarify legislative intent that funds received from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act be directed to the Evergreen Jobs Initiative. Adds to Initiative goals an effort across state agencies to draw down federal funds and deploy them in a focused, effective, coordinated manner. Directs that the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (DCTED) and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTB) work with a working group of specified state and local agencies, business, and labor to: (a) Develop and maintain an updated, prioritized list of projects statewide that will create green jobs and have long-term economic and environmental impact. Specifies uses of the list. (b) Develop a process and criteria to ensure that projects with high economic or environmental impact are strongly supported as "Evergreen Jobs Act Priority Projects." Specifies some of the evaluation criteria to be included, and directs additional points to be awarded for projects that meet three specified standards. (c) Develop, track, and report performance metrics, some of which are named. (d) Focus on additional local projects or high employer-demand fields as necessary and similarly report performance metrics. (e) Submit a progress report on December 1, 2009, to the Legislature, and subsequent quarterly reports containing specified information. Eliminates a completed task by the University of Washington. Clarifies consistently that "target populations" are veterans, members of the National Guard, and low-income and disadvantaged populations. Specifies that outreach to target populations be conducted in partnership with local workforce development councils. Removes definition of "green economy." Adds definitions of "apprentice" and "labor hours." Changes terminology throughout from "green energy" to "renewable energy" and from "green buildings" to "high-efficiency buildings". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 9, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Glenn Anderson, (R-Fall City) (R) on March 9, 2009, to require that in order to be prioritized to receive high employer demand funding a green economy workforce training program must also meet minimum criteria for identification as a high demand program. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 9, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Doug Ericksen (R) on March 9, 2009, to provide a non-exclusive list of green economy jobs. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 9, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Tim Probst, (D-Vancouver) (D) on March 9, 2009, to require the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, and the working group to create a more focused green jobs definition based upon certain characteristics, and report back to appropriate legislative committees. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on March 9, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Matt Shea (R) on March 9, 2009, to define what a green economy job is and is not. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on March 9, 2009.
• Passed 76 to 19 in the House on March 9, 2009.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on March 11, 2009.
  • Referred to the Senate Economic Developement, Trade & Innovation Committee on March 11, 2009.
    • Amendment offered in the Senate on March 30, 2009, to provide that the Department of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED) and the Worforce Training Board (WTB) are no onger required to create and maintain a priority list of projects. They instead are required to create and maintain a comprehensive strategic plan, as well as a framework to provide state support to local agencies pursuing funding or new job opportunities in the green economy. Specified criteria are reduced, and reporting requirements are lessened. The amendment failed by voice vote in the Senate on March 30, 2009.
  • Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on March 30, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Phil Rockefeller, (D-Kitsap County) (D) on April 16, 2009, tp rearrange and reorder the bill for clarity, and technical changes are made. The working group is named the Evergreen Jobs Leadership Team, and it must be chaired by a person appointed by the governor to be the sole point of contact on climate change and green economy issues. CTED, the Workforce Board, and the Leadership Team must do specified tasks instead of creating a strategic plan to do them, and must report on specified criteria on a semi-annual basis. The leadership team must identify the skills and qualifications necessary to conduct energy audits and provide energy efficiency services, and must direct and prioritize moneys provided for training to fulfill the purposes of E2SSB 5649. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is required to develop curricula and training programs to meet skills and qualifications identified by CTED, the Workforce Board, and the Leadership Team, must target a portion of federal stimulus funds to providing capacity for high employer-demand programs in energy audits and efficiency, and must report on its activities, amonth other things. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on April 16, 2009.
    • Amendment offered by Sen. Phil Rockefeller, (D-Kitsap County) (D) on April 16, 2009, add provisions related to funding and training. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on April 16, 2009.
• Passed 34 to 14 in the Senate on April 16, 2009.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on April 21, 2009. Passed 76 to 22 in the House on April 21, 2009.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire on May 18, 2009, establishes the Evergreen Jobs Initiative to create 15,000 new green economy jobs by 2020 and target 30 percent of the jobs to veterans, National Guard members, and low-income and disadvantaged populations. Tasks a "Leadership Team" with accelerating and coordinating efforts to identify, secure, and deploy funding, particularly through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for green economy projects at the state and local levels. Sections 1,3,5,6,7,13,14 and 16 are vetoed, all involving unfunded requirements, administrative and reporting provisions, training requirements as well as some technical provisions.