(1) Within this section, "sensory disability" means a sensory condition that materially limits, contributes to limiting, or, if not corrected or accommodated, will probably result in limiting an individual's activities or functioning.

(2) The office of financial management shall adopt rules that authorize state agencies to provide allowances to employees with sensory disabilities who must attend training necessary to attain a new service animal. The employee's absence must be treated in the same manner as that granted to employees who are absent to attend training that supports or improves their job performance, except that the employee shall not be eligible for reimbursement under RCW 43.03.050 or 43.03.060. The office of financial management shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this chapter.

(3) If the necessity to attend training for a new service animal is foreseeable and the training will cause the employee to miss work, the employee shall provide the employer with not less than thirty days' notice, before the date the absence is to begin, of the employee's impending absence. If the date of the training requires the absence to begin in less than thirty days, the employee shall provide notice as is practicable.

(4) An agency may require that a request to attend service animal training be supported by a certification issued by the relevant training organization. The employee must provide, in a timely manner, a copy of the certification to the agency. Certification provided under this section is sufficient if it states: (a) The date on which the service animal training session is scheduled to commence; and (b) the session's duration.

Effective date—Purpose—2011 1st sp.s. c 43: See notes following RCW 43.19.003.

Effective date—2009 c 294: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [April 30, 2009]." [ 2009 c 294 s 11.]