Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act.

SB 5549 expands Washington state's Fair Chance Act by requiring employers to wait until after initially determining a job applicant is qualified before asking about criminal records or conducting background checks. It prohibits automatic exclusions based on criminal history and mandates that employers provide applicants with a 2-day window to explain their record or provide rehabilitation evidence before taking adverse actions like rejection or termination. The bill also requires employers to document specific factors they consider - such as the seriousness of the offense, time since conviction, and evidence of rehabilitation - when deciding to act on an adult conviction record. This directly affects job applicants with criminal records and all Washington employers (including businesses, contractors, and staffing agencies) covered under the existing Fair Chance Act.