HB 1682 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning part-time workers in the unemployment insurance system.

This bill changes Washington's unemployment insurance rules for part-time workers, effective August 3, 2025. It revises the definition of "suitable work" for part-time workers (those who earned wages in at least 40 base-year weeks with an average of under 35 weekly hours) to require them to seek work matching their historical average hours, rather than the previous 17-hour limit. It also adds protections: workers needing to care for family members or address domestic violence/stalking may not lose benefits for seeking at least 20-hour workweeks instead of full-time. The policy directly affects part-time workers who qualify under these new base-year criteria.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

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

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to include a new committee referral and updated the effective date for the first reading. The most significant substantive change is the addition of RCW 50.20.100, which formally defines 'suitable work' for part-time workers and clarifies that suitable work hours must match an individual's average weekly hours in their base year starting August 3, 2025. Additionally, the definition of a 'part-time worker' for claims after August 3, 2025, was changed from working fewer than 17 hours to working an average of less than 35 hours per week.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by adding a new section to RCW 50.20.100 that explicitly defines suitable work standards for part-time workers, whereas the original version did not amend this specific statute.

DEFINITION

Added a new amendment to RCW 50.20.100 to define 'suitable work' for part-time workers, ensuring that work matching an individual's average base year hours is considered suitable.

Changed the definition of a 'part-time worker' for claims effective on or after August 3, 2025, from working fewer than 17 hours per week to working an average of less than 35 hours per week.

TIMELINE

Updated the first reading date from January 29, 2025, to February 20, 2025, and added a committee referral to the House Labor & Workplace Standards committee.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the specific exclusion for domestic violence and stalking from the list of circumstances allowing individuals to be unavailable for full-time work in the new section.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors