Labor & Employment (Professional Licensing)

HB 2494 updates Washington’s asbestos worker and supervisor certification requirements under RCW 49.26.110. It mandates that certified asbestos workers complete a four-day training course and supervisors a five-day course, both approved by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). The bill explicitly limits L&I’s rulemaking authority to adopting rules only "specifically required" to meet federal standards for asbestos work, preventing stricter state rules than federal law. This directly affects asbestos workers, supervisors, and contractors needing certification for state-regulated asbestos removal or encapsulation projects.

SB 5596 repeals Washington State's participation in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, a multi-state agreement that allowed teachers to transfer licenses more easily between states. The bill removes specific laws (RCW 28A.420.005-.120) that governed this compact, ending Washington’s ability to recognize teaching licenses from other participating states. This directly affects out-of-state teachers seeking to work in Washington schools, as they will no longer qualify for streamlined licensure under the compact and must meet Washington’s full licensing requirements instead. The repeal also modifies the "provisional employee" rules for new teachers but does not change the core process for school districts to nonrenew teaching contracts.