HB 1934 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning the disclosure of information pertaining to complainants, accusers, and witnesses in an employment investigation.

House Bill 1934 modifies state law concerning the public disclosure of information from employment investigation records held by public agencies. The bill requires that after an investigation into discrimination or harassment is complete, the names, images, job titles, and contact information of complainants, accusers, and witnesses must be redacted, and their voices altered on audio recordings, before public disclosure, unless they consent. However, if an elected government official is a complainant, their name and title will not be redacted from the investigatory records once the investigation is concluded. This directly affects public employees and individuals involved in such investigations, as well as public agencies responsible for these records.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Signed May 15, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill Passed Legislature · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill now includes a formal certification of enrollment, confirming it passed both the House and Senate in April 2025. A major substantive change occurs in the privacy section regarding investigative records: a new exception allows the names and titles of elected officials to remain visible in these records, even after redaction, if they are the complainants. This alters the previous blanket rule requiring full redaction of such officials' identities.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include formal legislative certification procedures, and the applicability of privacy exemptions was modified to create a specific exception for elected officials involved in discrimination investigations.
REQUIREMENT

Added a formal certification of enrollment page to document the bill's passage by both legislative chambers.

Modified the rules for redacting investigative records to create an exception where the name and title of an elected official complainant must not be redacted.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 8, 2025 · House Apr 22, 2025

How they voted

501
Passed
Total votes 51
Apr 8, 2025
D Democratic31
30 Yea 1 Nay
96% Yea
R Republican20
20 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
26
Key actions
13
Committee
8
May 15, 2025
Signed into law
Governor signed.
executive
Apr 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
President signed.
upper
Apr 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Speaker signed.
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed final passage; yeas, 92; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 1.
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendments.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Floor amendment(s) adopted.
upper
Mar 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
upper
Mar 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
SGTE - Majority; do pass.
upper
Mar 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections at 10:30 AM.
upper
Mar 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections at 10:30 AM.
upper
Feb 21, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
SGOV - Majority; do pass.
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 1:30 PM.
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations at 1:30 PM.
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors