SB 6045 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining.

SB 6045 extends collective bargaining rights to agricultural employees in Washington State, placing them under the jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) for negotiations on wages, hours, and working conditions. It directly affects farmworkers and agricultural employers, excluding supervisors, family members, and those covered by federal labor laws. The bill establishes procedures for fair bargaining, including culturally and linguistically appropriate processes to address barriers like seasonal work and language differences. It defines key terms and ensures PERC can enforce protections against employer interference in union activities.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2026 Last action Feb 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Bill · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and reclassified from a Senate Labor & Commerce bill to a Ways & Means bill, with the reading date updated to February 9, 2026. The text was streamlined to remove a specific reference to amending RCW 49.32.020, while adding a new definition of 'agricultural employer' to explicitly include farm labor contractors. The definition of 'company union' was expanded to include specific prohibitions on providing legal referrals. The bill also added new sections defining unfair labor practices for both employers and unions, and clarified that the new agricultural collective bargaining chapter is part of Title 49 RCW.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by explicitly including farm labor contractors within the definition of 'agricultural employer' and clarifying that the employer engaging the contractor is the responsible party for all purposes under the new chapter.

TECHNICAL

The bill number changed from S-4668.1 to S-4843.1, and the title changed from 'Substitute Senate Bill' to 'Second Substitute Senate Bill'. The sponsor committee changed from Senate Labor & Commerce to Senate Ways & Means, and the first reading date was updated to 02/09/26.

The final section was modified to state that Sections 1 through 20 constitute the new chapter in Title 49 RCW, whereas the previous version referenced Sections 1 through 19.

REQUIREMENT

The legislative summary was updated to remove the mention of amending RCW 49.32.020, stating only that RCW 5.60.060 is amended.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'agricultural employer' was modified to explicitly include persons functioning as farm labor contractors as defined by federal law, and clarified that the hiring employer is responsible for all purposes under the chapter.

The definition of 'company union' was modified to add 'wages, hours' to the list of issues it may deal with, and added a specific prohibition against the employer providing a referral of counsel or agents.

A new clause was added to the definition of 'company union' to clarify that it includes associations where the employer participates in the formulation of governing rules or policies.

ENFORCEMENT

New sections were added to explicitly list unfair labor practices for both agricultural employers (including refusing to bargain) and farmworker labor organizations (including inducing employers to commit unfair practices).

Bill → Substitute Bill · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and reclassified as a substitute version, shifting sponsorship responsibility to the Senate Labor & Commerce committee. The most significant policy change is the addition of a requirement for the Public Employment Relations Commission to create and distribute signage in the five most common foreign languages used in Washington, ensuring agricultural workers understand their new collective bargaining rights.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on extending collective bargaining rights to agricultural employees, but the applicability of the new signage requirement specifically targets agricultural employers covered under the chapter.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from S-3696.3 to S-4668.1, and the title was updated to 'Substitute Senate Bill 6045' to reflect its status in the legislative process.

Section 20 was renumbered to Section 19, and the new Section 19 now refers to Sections 1 through 19 of the act, while the original Section 20 was renumbered to Section 21.

FISCAL

The list of original sponsors was removed and replaced with a statement that the bill is now sponsored by the Senate Labor & Commerce committee, indicating a procedural shift in how the bill is being managed.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement mandates that the Public Employment Relations Commission create signage in the five most common foreign languages used in Washington and provide a copy to every agricultural employer covered by the act.

A new Section 22 was added to amend RCW 5.60.060, clarifying that the public employment relations commission has concurrent jurisdiction to prevent violations of rights for agricultural employers and employees.

ENFORCEMENT

Section 4 was updated to explicitly limit the commission's concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts to agricultural employees and employers as defined in the act.

DEFINITION

Section 11 was slightly revised to clarify that an automatic renewal provision is not a bar to a representation question if it extends the agreement's total existence for more than three years.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.

upper

Jan 20, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.

upper

1 primary · 13 co-sponsors