For the purpose of providing the protection of the unemployment compensation system to individuals at the conclusion of training or employment obtained as a result of this chapter, a special base year and benefit year are established.

(1) Only individuals who have entered training or employment provided by the *environmental and forest restoration account, and whose employment or training under such account was not considered covered under chapter 50.04 RCW, shall be allowed the special benefit provisions of this chapter.

(2) An application for initial determination made under this chapter must be filed in writing with the employment security department within twenty-six weeks following the week in which the individual commenced employment or training obtained as a result of this chapter. Notice from the individual, from the employing entity, or notice of hire from employment security department administrative records shall satisfy this requirement.

(3) For the purpose of this chapter, a special base year is established for an individual consisting of the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters, or if a benefit year is not established using the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters as the base year, the last four completed calendar quarters immediately prior to the first day of the calendar week in which the individual began employment or training provided by the *environmental and forest restoration account.

(4) A special individual benefit year is established consisting of the entire period of training or employment provided by the *environmental and forest restoration account and a fifty-two consecutive week period commencing with the first day of the calendar week in which the individual last participated in such employment or training. No special benefit year shall have a duration in excess of three hundred twelve calendar weeks. Such special benefit year will not be established unless the criteria contained in RCW 50.04.030 has been met, except that an individual meeting the requirements of this chapter and who has an unexpired benefit year established which would overlap the special benefit year may elect to establish a special benefit year under this chapter, notwithstanding the provisions in RCW 50.04.030 relating to establishment of a subsequent benefit year, and RCW 50.40.010 relating to waiver of rights. Such unexpired benefit year shall be terminated with the beginning of the special benefit year if the individual elects to establish a special benefit year under this chapter.

(5) The individual's weekly benefit amount and maximum amount payable during the special benefit year shall be governed by the provisions contained in RCW 50.20.120. The individual's basic and continuing right to benefits shall be governed by the general laws and rules relating to the payment of unemployment compensation benefits to the extent that they are not in conflict with the provisions of this chapter.

(6) The fact that wages, hours, or weeks worked during the special base year may have been used in computation of a prior valid claim for unemployment compensation shall not affect a claim for benefits made under the provisions of this chapter. However, wages, hours, and weeks worked used in computing entitlement on a claim filed under this chapter shall not be available or used for establishing entitlement or amount of benefits in any succeeding benefit year.

(7) Benefits paid to an individual filing under the provisions of this section shall not be charged to the experience rating account of any contribution paying employer.

*Reviser's note: The "environmental and forest restoration account" was created in RCW 43.21J.020 which was repealed by 2000 c 150 s 2, effective July 1, 2001.