Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
RCW 43.330.010
Intent-Findings- 2021 c 39: See note following RCW 74.14C.010.
Findings-Purpose-Intent-2007 c 322: "(1) The legislature finds that:
(a) Microenterprises are an important portion of Washington's economy, providing approximately twenty percent of the employment in Washington and playing a vital role in job creation.
(b) While community-based microenterprise development organizations have expanded their assistance to their microentrepreneur customers in recent years, there remains a lack of access to capital, training, and technical assistance for low-income microentrepreneurs.
(c) Support for microenterprise development offers a means to expand business and job creation in low-income communities in both rural and urban areas of the state.
(d) Local and state charitable foundation support, federal program funding, and private sector support can be leveraged by a statewide program for development of microenterprises.
(2) It is the purpose of this act to assist microenterprises in job creation by increasing the training, technical assistance, and financial resources available to microenterprises. It is the intention of the legislature to carry out this purpose by enabling the *department of community, trade, and economic development to contract with a statewide microenterprise association with the potential to provide organizational support and administer grants to local microenterprise development organizations, subject to the requirements of this act, and to leverage additional funds from sources other than moneys appropriated from the general fund." [2007 c 322 s 1.]
*Reviser's note: The "department of community, trade, and economic development" was renamed the "department of commerce" by 2009 c 565.