Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House May 15, 2025

HB 1934: 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.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects worker privacy in investigations by mandating redaction of personal details, encouraging reporting of discrimination/harassment without fear of retaliation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1035: Creating policies and resources to address secondary traumatic stress in the higher education workforce.

HB 1035 requires Washington's public community colleges, technical colleges, and regional universities to adopt policies addressing secondary traumatic stress among faculty and staff. It mandates developing model policies with specific elements, including mental health support, diversity-focused workplace climates, campus mental health committees, and annual reporting. Institutions must post these policies publicly by September 2025 and incorporate all required elements into their own policies by the start of the 2025-26 academic year. The bill also requires colleges to publish online links to mental health resources, self-assessment tools, and best practices for their workforce.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates mental health support and diversity-focused policies for higher education staff, strengthening workforce well-being and retention in educational institutions.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health support services as required policy element for college staff, directly advancing mental health resources in workplace settings.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates mental health support and safe workplace policies for faculty/staff, directly advancing workplace safety standards under Labor & Employment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Testing & Assessment Mental Health

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5476: Modifying the responsible bidder criteria for public works projects.

SB 5476 modifies Washington State's criteria for contractors to qualify as "responsible bidders" on public works projects. It requires bidders to either have completed at least one public project in the last three years without violations or have at least one trained employee (certified by the Department of Labor and Industries on public works rules), with exemptions for contractors with three+ projects and three+ years of business. The bill also mandates new apprentice utilization plans for projects subject to apprenticeship rules, including specific details like projected hours and program contacts, which must be submitted within 60 days of winning a contract. Contractors must verify compliance with all criteria through a sworn statement and the Department's public website, while state/municipalities may add supplemental requirements with clear appeal processes. These changes directly affect construction contractors bidding on state or local government projects requiring licensing or apprenticeship compliance.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires contractors to have Labor & Industries-certified trained employees for public works projects, enhancing workplace safety compliance standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2026: Creating the fairness in education funding act.

HB 2026, the "Fairness in Education Funding Act," aims to create equitable school funding by replacing local levies (which disproportionately benefit wealthier districts) with uniform state-funded allocations. The bill sets new minimum state salary levels for school staff that will apply equally to all public school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools starting in the 2026-27 school year. Specifically, it establishes baseline salaries of $100,033 (adjusted for inflation) for certificated instructional staff, $179,857 for certificated administrative staff, and $71,082 for classified staff. Regional adjustments to these salaries will phase out after the 2025-26 school year, ensuring all districts receive identical state funding for staff compensation regardless of location or local wealth.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReplaces local levies with uniform state-funded allocations, mandating increased state budget expenditure for equitable education salaries.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationReplaces inequitable local levies with uniform state funding and sets $100,033+ baseline salaries for all school staff, directly advancing equitable funding and teacher compensation.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes $100,033 baseline salary for all school staff, directly increasing wages and setting uniform employment standards per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

Track

signed · Washington · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1747: Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act.

HB 1747 expands protections for job applicants and employees under Washington's Fair Chance Act. The bill prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant's criminal record until after a conditional offer of employment has been made. It also prevents employers from taking adverse employment action based on arrest records or juvenile conviction records. For adult conviction records, employers must have a legitimate business reason, notify the individual, and provide an opportunity for them to explain or provide additional information before making a decision.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands Fair Chance Act to prevent employment discrimination based on criminal records, reducing barriers to reentry and aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands job applicant protections by restricting criminal record inquiries pre-offer and preventing adverse actions based on certain records, strengthening worker rights under Fair Chance Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1831: Allowing for corrections to wage and salary disclosures.

HB 1831 requires employers with 15 or more employees to disclose wage ranges and benefits in all job postings, including internal transfers and promotions. It adds a 10-day correction window for employers to fix posting errors after receiving written notice from applicants or employees, preventing penalties if corrected within that time. The bill amends Washington’s existing wage transparency law (RCW 49.58.110) to clarify this correction process. It directly affects employers and job seekers in Washington state by standardizing disclosure requirements and reducing enforcement penalties for minor, fixable errors.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires wage range disclosure in job postings, strengthening transparency for workers and preventing penalties for minor errors in compliance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

Track

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5501: Concerning employer requirements for driving.

Substitute Senate Bill 5501 prohibits employers from requiring a valid driver's license as a condition of employment or in job postings, unless driving is an essential job function or related to a legitimate business purpose. This law directly affects employers and job applicants in Washington state. The bill establishes a process for the director to investigate complaints, allowing for orders of actual and statutory damages (at least $5,000), interest, and investigation costs to the complainant. Employers may also face civil penalties of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $1,000 or 10% of damages for repeat offenses.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits unnecessary driver's license requirements in hiring, protecting applicants from discriminatory barriers and advancing workers' rights under Labor & Employment standards.95% confidence

Tags Licensing

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1672: Addressing technology used by employers in the workplace.

HB 1672 restricts how Washington employers can use technology to monitor employees, requiring clear notice and limiting monitoring to specific, necessary purposes. Employers must provide 15 days' written notice detailing the monitoring method, purpose, data usage, and access rules before implementation, and can only use electronic monitoring for essential job functions, safety, production tracking, or compensation calculation. The law explicitly protects sensitive employee data, including health information like gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and biometric details, preventing misuse for employment decisions. It directly affects all Washington employees subject to workplace technology monitoring, ensuring transparency and limiting invasive practices.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRestricts employer monitoring tech with notice requirements and data protections, advancing worker privacy and safety rights as defined in Labor & Employment topic.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts employer monitoring to protect employee data privacy, requiring notice and limiting data collection per bill requirements.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 1635: Concerning the composition of the boards of directors of consumer cooperatives and cooperative associations.

HB 1635 requires large consumer cooperatives (with 2,500+ global employees) to reserve two board seats for nonsupervisory, nonmanagerial employees. These employees must be selected by majority vote among all such workers, and they cannot vote on wage, benefit, or employment condition decisions affecting their group. The bill amends Washington’s cooperative association laws to implement this board composition requirement, applying only to qualifying large cooperatives. It does not affect smaller cooperatives or change general board election rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates worker representation on cooperative boards via elected nonsupervisory employees, enhancing worker voice in governance per labor rights standards without restricting employment conditions.85% confidence

Track

signed · Washington · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 1270: Concerning automatic deferred compensation enrollment for county, municipal, and other political subdivision employees.

HB 1270 allows counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions to automatically enroll their new employees into deferred compensation plans. This applies to eligible new employees, whether they are joining the state's deferred compensation plan or a local government's own plan. Employees who are automatically enrolled will have the option to opt out if they choose. This bill provides local governments with the mechanism to streamline enrollment in retirement savings programs for their workforce.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAutomatically enrolls employees in retirement savings with opt-out, expanding retirement benefits without mandating participation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits