Democratic lawmakers file 2 bills hoping to fix problems with Washington's new long-term care benefi
Two bills filed by Democratic state lawmakers Tuesday seek to make a number of changes to the state's new long-term care benefit, which will be funded by a payroll tax on millions of Washington workers.
One bill — originally sponsored by House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan (D-Covington) — would delay collection of the payroll tax until July 1, 2023.
That tax, 0.58% of a worker’s total wages, went into effect on Jan. 1. Under the law, employers must deduct the tax from their employees’ earnings and then remit it to the state.
After a group of Democratic leaders in the state Senate urged Gov. Jay Inslee to delay collection of the tax before the new year, Inslee ordered the state’s Employment Security Department to not collect that tax from employers. Inslee said he did not have the authority to prevent employers from collecting the tax from their employees; only the state Legislature has the authority to do that, he said.
Even though the state’s Employment Security Department has been ordered not to collect the tax, employers are required under the law to take the tax from their employees. Another provision in Rep. Sullivan’s bill would require the state to refund any premiums that were taken from workers between Jan. 1 and the date in which the bill goes into effect.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/democratic-lawmakers-file-2-bills-hoping-to-fix-problems-with-washington-s-new-long-term-care-benefit/ar-AASqUZJ