HB 1264 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning the salaries of ferry system collective bargaining units.

HB 1264 updates the process for determining salaries and benefits for Washington state ferry system employees represented by collective bargaining units. The bill requires the Office of Financial Management to contract with a nationally recognized firm to conduct comprehensive salary and fringe benefit surveys for maritime employees. These surveys will compare ferry employee compensation with directly comparable positions in both public and private sectors to ensure competitive pay. Information identifying specific private employers in these surveys will not be subject to public disclosure.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Signed May 17, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Substitute Passed Legislature · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was finalized into law with a new certification of enrollment and significant updates to the salary survey process for ferry employees. The most important change is that the Office of Financial Management can now use a single-source contract to hire a specific firm for the salary survey, and the final survey results are now required to be shared with bargaining parties by April 1st of even-numbered years, with a one-time extension allowed for 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding salary surveys was expanded to include a specific mechanism for contracting (sole source) and clarified the deadline for sharing survey data.

REQUIREMENT

Added a provision allowing the Office of Financial Management to use a sole-source contract to hire a nationally recognized firm for the salary survey.

TIMELINE

Changed the deadline for making the final salary survey available to bargaining parties from an unspecified date to April 1st of the even-numbered year.

Added a one-time exception allowing a new completion date if the survey cannot be finished by April 1st, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Updated internal bill numbering and formatting to reflect the final version passed by the legislature.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 15, 2025 · House Apr 21, 2025

How they voted

31–19

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Apr 15, 2025

D Democratic31

30 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican20

1 Yea 19 Nay

95% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 17, 2025

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Apr 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 70; nays, 27; absent, 0; excused, 1.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

House concurred in Senate amendments.

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Amended

Committee amendment not adopted.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

TRAN - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

upper

Apr 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 1:30 PM.

upper

Mar 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 1:00 PM.

lower

Feb 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to Transportation.

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

LAWS - Majority; do pass.

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.

lower

1 primary · 14 co-sponsors