HB 2105 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Concerning immigrant worker protections.

HB 2105 requires Washington employers to notify workers within 72 hours if federal agencies plan I-9 form or worker record inspections. It mandates posting notices in five common non-English languages at workplaces, sending written notices to workers' last known addresses, and sharing federal inspection results with affected workers. The law directly affects all Washington employers and immigrant workers who may face federal immigration verification checks. Key provisions include multilingual notice requirements, timelines for employer communication, and a template for compliance developed by the Attorney General. This bill creates a formal process for transparency during federal I-9 audits, aiming to protect workers' rights during inspections.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

Signed into Law

Mar 2026

Introduced Dec 8, 2025 Signed Mar 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Second Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Passed Legislature · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was certified as passed by both the House and Senate. Key substantive changes include extending the time for employers to notify workers of federal inspections from 72 hours to five business days, reducing statutory damages for violations from $1,000 to $500, and lowering the maximum statutory damages cap in private lawsuits from 80 times to 40 times the state minimum wage. Additionally, the private cause of action section was expanded to require courts to consider multiple factors, such as the employer's size and whether the violation was willful, when calculating damages.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for employers to notify workers of federal I-9 inspections from 72 hours to five business days.

ENFORCEMENT

Reduced the statutory fine for failing to provide required inspection notices from $1,000 to $500 per violation.

Lowered the maximum statutory damages cap in private lawsuits from 80 times the hourly minimum wage to 40 times the hourly minimum wage.

Added specific factors for courts to consider when determining private lawsuit damages, including employer size and whether the violation was willful.

Bill → Substitute Bill · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift from a 'Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' after committee review, changing the effective date from immediate to October 1, 2026, and significantly expanding employer obligations. Key changes include moving the deadline for the Attorney General to create resources from July to September 2026, adding a requirement for the Attorney General to conduct outreach, and clarifying that employers must provide inspection notices in the language most regularly used with their workers rather than just the five most common non-English languages. The penalty structure was also simplified to focus on specific notice violations with a $1,000 statutory damage base.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a mandatory outreach program by the Attorney General and clarified the definition of 'worker' to include family members in certain contexts. The applicability timeline was delayed by several months to allow for better preparation.

TIMELINE

The effective date for most provisions was changed from immediate to October 1, 2026, and the deadline for the Attorney General to create posters and guidance was moved from July 1, 2026, to September 1, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the Attorney General to conduct outreach to businesses and community members by October 1, 2027, to explain the new laws.

Changed the language requirement for notices from the 'five most widely used non-English languages' to the 'language most regularly used to communicate between the employer and the affected worker'.

Added a requirement that the Attorney General's model notice must include a link to a copy of the inspection notice and contact information for an immigrant rights organization.

Added a specific requirement that the Attorney General must provide guidance on employers' rights to restrict federal agency access to nonpublic areas and certain worker records.

ENFORCEMENT

Simplified the penalty structure by removing complex multipliers based on willfulness for the first violation and establishing a flat $1,000 statutory damage per notice violation, doubling to $2,000 for willful violations.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'Form I-9' to explicitly include successor forms used for the same purposes under federal law.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 5, 2026 · House Mar 11, 2026

How they voted

29–21

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Mar 5, 2026

D Democratic31

28 Yea 2 Nay 1

90% 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

Mar 30, 2026

Signed into law

Governor signed.

executive

Mar 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

President signed.

upper

Mar 12, 2026

Lower · Passed

Speaker signed.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed final passage; yeas, 58; nays, 38; absent, 0; excused, 2.

lower

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

House concurred in Senate amendments.

lower

Mar 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (29-21-1)

senate

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Mar 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 23, 2026

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

LC - Majority; do pass.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 8:00 AM.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Feb 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.

lower

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Jan 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Jan 16, 2026

Lower · Passed

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

lower

1 primary · 35 co-sponsors