SB 5217 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Expanding pregnancy-related accommodations.

Senate Bill 5217 expands pregnancy-related accommodations for employees in Washington state, now applying to nearly all employers. It defines "pregnancy" to include related health conditions and the need to express breast milk, requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations like flexible breaks, modified schedules, and assistance with manual labor. The bill prohibits employers from taking adverse action against employees requesting these accommodations and mandates paid break time for expressing breast milk for up to two years after childbirth. Additionally, it allows individuals with an infant under 12 months old to be excused from or delay jury service.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 10, 2025 Signed May 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Second Substitute Bill Second Substitute Passed Legislature · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill adds a certification page to the official text and reorganizes the bill's sections to include a new title, 'Healthy Starts Act.' The most significant policy change expands jury service exemptions for parents, allowing individuals to request excusal if they are breastfeeding or expressing milk for an infant under 24 months old, whereas previously the limit was 12 months.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include a new title and citation ('Healthy Starts Act') and renumbered sections to accommodate the new title and expanded jury service provisions.
TECHNICAL

Added a formal 'Certification of Enrollment' page at the beginning of the bill text.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the list of repealed sections to remove the old 'Healthy Starts Act' title section and add the new title section.

Changed the effective date section to reference the new section numbers (1 through 6) instead of the old ones.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded jury service exemptions to include parents breastfeeding or expressing milk for infants under 24 months old, increasing the previous limit of 12 months.

DEFINITION

Added a new section establishing the official title of the act as the 'Healthy Starts Act'.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2025 · House Apr 14, 2025

How they voted

456
Passed
Total votes 51
Mar 10, 2025
D Democratic31
31 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican20
14 Yea 6 Nay
70% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
45
Key actions
25
Committee
22
May 20, 2025
Signed into law
Governor signed.
executive
Apr 22, 2025
Lower · Passed
Speaker signed.
lower
Apr 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
President signed.
upper
Apr 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed final passage; yeas, 40; nays, 8; absent, 0; excused, 1.
upper
Apr 18, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House amendments.
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
lower
Apr 14, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (73-25-2)
house
Apr 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Labor & Workplace Standards.
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.
lower
Apr 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
lower
Mar 28, 2025
Committee
Referred to Appropriations.
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
LAWS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM.
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM.
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Upper · Passed
Floor amendment(s) adopted.
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Committee
Referred to Ways & Means.
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; without recommendation.
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Minority; do not pass.
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Committee
And refer to Ways & Means.
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 8:00 AM.
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.
upper
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors

Sponsors