Providing labor market protections for domestic workers.
HB 1561 extends key labor protections to domestic workers in Washington state, including nannies, house cleaners, home care workers, and household managers. The bill requires employers to pay the state minimum wage, provide overtime pay for hours over 40 per week, mandate 30-minute meal breaks after 2-5 hours of work, and guarantee 10-minute rest breaks every four hours. It also mandates written employment agreements in understandable language covering pay, schedule, and benefits, while prohibiting waivers of legal rights or forced arbitration clauses. The law explicitly excludes casual babysitters, family members, and workers in certain home-sitting roles from coverage.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026
Last action Jan 12, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
3
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.
lower
1 primary · 17 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Monica Stonier
DDemocratic
Co
Alex Ramel
DDemocratic
Co
Beth Doglio
DDemocratic
Co
Brianna Thomas
DDemocratic
Co
Jamila Taylor
DDemocratic
Co
Julia Reed
DDemocratic
Co
Lillian Ortiz-Self
DDemocratic
Co
Lisa Parshley
DDemocratic
Co
Liz Berry
DDemocratic
Co
Mary Fosse
DDemocratic
Co
Mia Gregerson
DDemocratic
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