Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 2524: Establishing the state security guards industry standards board.

HB 2524 establishes a new State Security Guards Industry Standards Board to set minimum employment requirements for security guards in Washington. The board will create rules by 2028 covering minimum pay, paid leave, benefits, and training standards, ensuring they meet or exceed existing industry conditions. Security guard employers must provide certified training every two years through approved worker organizations, which the board will oversee. This bill directly affects security guards and their employers across Washington, aiming to standardize working conditions in the industry.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes minimum pay, benefits, and certified training requirements for security guards, directly strengthening worker protections and employment standards per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Paid Leave Professional Licensing

Track

signed · Washington · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SB 6019: Improving the functioning of home care rate statutes.

SB 6019 reformulates how Washington state calculates and allocates payments to home care agencies for direct care workers. It requires the state department to convert negotiated wage and benefit changes into an hourly rate every odd-numbered year, ensuring all funds dedicated to wages, benefits, and employer costs directly support workers providing home care. The bill mandates strict separation of funds - requiring that health care, training, and administrative costs be used only for their designated purposes - and requires agencies to verify compliance through audits or union attestations starting July 2027. This directly affects home care agencies (as recipients of state payments) and home care workers (who receive the allocated wages and benefits).

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates strict separation of funds to ensure wage/benefit allocations directly support home care workers, preventing diversion to administrative costs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 2, 2026

SB 6068: Concerning workers' wages and benefits in the construction industry.

This bill requires owners and direct contractors to jointly pay unpaid wages, benefits, and reimbursements to construction workers when subcontractors fail to pay. It directly affects construction workers, especially those employed by subcontractors who may not receive payment due to misclassification or underpayment. Key provisions include allowing workers to sue owners or direct contractors directly (not just subcontractors), creating a rebuttable presumption that workers are employees (not independent contractors), and mandating that agreements waiving liability are invalid. The law also authorizes the attorney general to investigate violations and pursue enforcement actions. These changes aim to address wage theft in the construction industry by expanding accountability up the project chain.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires owners/contractors to pay unpaid construction wages/benefits, allows direct lawsuits against them, creates employee presumption to prevent misclassification - directly protects worker compensation rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 6143: Modifying the claim period duration for the paid family and medical leave program.

SB 6143 modifies Washington's paid family and medical leave program by extending the timeframe for taking leave from 52 to 78 consecutive calendar weeks for both family and medical leave. It also increases the combined maximum leave limit from 16 to 18 times the typical workweek hours when an employee experiences pregnancy-related serious health conditions. The bill directly affects eligible Washington workers who need leave for family or medical reasons, including new parents and those with health conditions. These changes adjust the duration limits but do not alter benefit amounts, waiting periods, or eligibility requirements.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends leave duration from 52 to 78 weeks and increases maximum leave hours, expanding worker benefits for family/medical needs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 4, 2026

HB 2458: Expanding access to the Washington college grant to students enrolled in eligible postsecondary nondegree credential programs.

HB 2458 would expand Washington's college grant program to cover students enrolled in eligible nondegree credential programs (such as career certificates or short-term workforce training) starting in the 2027-28 academic year. It requires the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Student Achievement Council to propose maximum grant amounts for these programs by December 2026. To qualify, students must still meet existing financial need criteria (e.g., public assistance program participation) and be Washington residents. This change allows students to use the grant for shorter, degree-free training without pursuing a full college credential.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands college grant access to nondegree career programs, increasing funding for workforce training education and broadening educational access beyond traditional degrees.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands grant access for workforce training programs, directly enhancing job skills and employment opportunities through education funding, aligning with labor & employment support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education Student Financial Aid Workforce Development

Track

in committee · Washington · House Jan 12, 2026

HB 2241: Establishing radiation dose standards for the operation of ionizing radiation screening systems regulated by the department of health.

This bill requires Washington's Department of Health to allow body scanners in correctional facilities to operate at higher radiation levels than previously permitted, specifically setting minimums of 2 microsieverts (µSv) per scan and 0.25 millisieverts (mSv) annually. It reverses a 2024 rule that reduced scanner power to 1/8th of prior capability, causing unclear images and contributing to safety incidents including near-overdose deaths. The law mandates the health department cannot impose lower radiation limits for these scanners, ensuring they can effectively detect contraband like narcotics while staying below standard safety thresholds. It directly affects all correctional facilities, jails, and detention centers using ionizing radiation screening systems.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentReverses 2024 rule causing safety incidents/near-overdose deaths by enabling clearer scans, directly improving workplace safety for correctional facility staff.90% confidence

Track

signed · Washington · House Mar 16, 2026

HB 2410: Establishing a commercial truck safety and education council.

HB 2410 establishes a Washington State Commercial Truck Safety and Education Council within the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. The council, composed of state agency representatives (including the State Patrol and Transportation departments), trucking industry leaders, and public members, will develop safety programs to address rising truck collision rates and improve driver training. It will use existing funds from the commercial vehicle safety account to coordinate industry initiatives, analyze crash trends, and provide grants for safety education - without creating new taxes or fees. The council must report annually to the legislature starting in 2028 on its activities and recommendations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates safety council to improve truck driver training and reduce collisions, directly enhancing workplace safety for commercial drivers.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill creates council to develop truck safety programs and improve driver training using existing funds, directly enhancing transportation safety standards for commercial vehicles.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Freight Traffic Safety

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 26, 2026

SB 6117: Concerning collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act.

SB 6117 establishes a state framework for collective bargaining when federal labor laws no longer apply to certain workers in Washington. It directly affects employees not covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRB), such as some private-sector workers whose employers or industries fall outside federal jurisdiction. The bill creates procedures for certifying bargaining representatives through the Public Employment Relations Commission, preserves existing collective bargaining agreements during certification, and defines key terms like "employee" and "bargaining representative." It applies automatically if federal law ceases to preempt state regulation of labor relations for specific employers or industries. The law aims to maintain stable labor-management relations and protect workers' collective bargaining rights in gaps left by federal coverage.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes state framework for collective bargaining of workers excluded from federal protections, directly supporting labor organizing rights and collective bargaining agreements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Professional Licensing

Track

in committee · Washington · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2655: Providing a retail sales and use tax exemption for the construction and equipping of new data centers located in a county east of the Cascades that borders another state and has a population of at least 500,000.

HB 2655 provides a sales and use tax exemption for new data centers in specific eastern Washington counties (east of the Cascades, bordering another state, with at least 500,000 residents). It covers construction, equipment, and power infrastructure costs for qualifying data centers, but requires them to create a minimum of 35 family-wage jobs or 3 jobs per 20,000 square feet of server space within six years. The exemption expires in 2048, and tax certificates must be renewed every two years, with job requirements verified annually. This policy directly affects data center developers in targeted counties seeking tax savings tied to job creation.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill grants sales tax exemption for data centers, reducing state tax revenue. This weakens tax collection, aligning with 'oppose' indicators for tax reduction.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates family-wage job creation (35+ or 3 per 20k sq ft) as a condition for tax exemption, directly advancing employment standards and job quality.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyTax exemption directly incentivizes data center construction and infrastructure, advancing tech infrastructure development per bill's purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Sales Tax Tax Incentives

Track

in committee · Washington · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 6067: Concerning workers' compensation benefits.

SB 6067 updates Washington State's workers' compensation benefits for workers with permanent total disability resulting from injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2026. It establishes a new formula where monthly benefits are calculated as a percentage of the worker's wages (excluding health care contributions), ranging from 60% for unmarried workers without children to 75% for unmarried workers with six or more children or married workers with five or more children. The bill also sets minimum benefit levels (15% of average monthly wage plus $10 per child up to five or six children) and maximum caps (120% of average wage), while preserving existing rules for claims before July 2026. These changes directly affect workers and employers in Washington State whose injuries meet the permanent total disability criteria after the effective date.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentUpdates workers' comp benefits to 60-75% of wages based on dependents, expanding financial support for disabled workers with higher percentages for those with more dependents.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

Track