2016 Seattle City Council Statement of Legislative Intent
Ready for Notebook

Tab
36

Action
1

Option
A

Version
3

Budget Action Title:

Dedicated Funding Source for Local Labor Laws

Councilmembers:

Bagshaw; Burgess; Licata; O'Brien

Staff Analyst:

Patricia Lee

Date

Total

SB

BH

JO

TR

NL

TB

JG

MO

KS

Yes
No
Abstain
Absent

Statement of Legislative Intent:
The Council intends to increase funding for organizations to perform worker outreach and business outreach
for the purpose of providing education, ensuring compliance with the city’s labor laws, and to provide
additional funding for staff investigators at the Office of Labor Standards (OLS). It intends to do so by
establishing a new dedicated source of funding for OLS as well as having the City enter into contracts with
trusted partner organizations and associations in order to provide additional resources for outreach,
compliance education and assistance, and enforcement.
Council requests that the Executive provide staffing and appropriate resources to support Council Central
Staff’s analysis of how best to raise these dedicated funds, including potentially a one-cent-per-hour-workedin-Seattle supplemental business license fee, an increase in the annual business license fee, or other options.
This analysis should include:



An estimate of the amount raised through each dedicated source considered.



How other Washington cities like Redmond and Vancouver have created similar dedicated
sources and how much is raised.



Any changes in law, policies, or regulations necessary to implement such a dedicated source.

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 

A needs assessment to determine how to most effectively apportion new revenue between
education, investigations and enforcement by OLS or community and business outreach and
education by community-based organizations.



An implementation strategy and timeline.



Model legislation to implement the dedicated source with the funds being dedicated to
worker outreach, business outreach, and OLS.

The Council specifically intends that a significant portion of new funds to be used for community-based
organizations, under contract with OLS, to provide the outreach and compliance education and assistance for
employees and employers.
The Council also intends that the funds will be used to contract with business association(s) with dedicated
business outreach, education, and technical assistance programs targeting small businesses and/or
businesses associated with high-violation industries.
Central Staff’s findings and recommendations should be submitted to the chair of the Council’s committee
with oversight of the City’s labor laws no later than April 1, 2016.
Background:
The City’s Office of Labor Standards (OLS) is a division of the Office for Civil Rights and is responsible for the
administration of the City’s labor laws. Effective administration of these laws requires strong compliance,
education and enforcement activities, as well as outreach to employees and employers.

Responsible Council Committee(s): Finance and Culture

Date Due to Council: April 1, 2016

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