SB 5790 changes how annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for academic and classified employees at Washington's community and technical colleges. Previously, these salary increases were based on the consumer price index. Starting with the 2025-2027 budget cycle, the bill switches to using the implicit price deflator, a different economic measure, to determine the COLA rate. This ensures that the state continues to fully fund these adjustments for eligible college staff.
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.
Senate Bill 5682 extends a tax credit for businesses participating in the Washington customized employment training program. This credit allows businesses to claim 50% of their payments made to the employment training finance account. The bill moves the tax credit's expiration date from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031, with the goal of aiding in attracting and retaining jobs in Washington. It also updates the reporting requirements for the college board regarding the program's use and distribution.
House Bill 1167 directs the existing statewide career and technical education task force to specifically consider educational opportunities for careers in maritime professions. The bill expands the task force's mandate, requiring it to develop recommendations for strengthening and expanding access to work-integrated learning, including career and technical education and apprenticeship programs, with a particular focus on the maritime sector. These recommendations will cover aspects like curricula, industry partnerships, educator training, and alignment with postsecondary programs. The aim is to enhance and standardize career and technical education programs to better prepare students for jobs in maritime industries.
HB 1533 allows specialty electricians enrolled in a single-employer journey-level apprenticeship program to continue working under their valid specialty electrician certificate of competency. This permits employers to utilize their skills while the apprentice is participating in the program. Employers must submit quarterly reports of these specialty hours and provide annual notice to the apprentice, detailing the wage and potential impact on apprenticeship wage progression. These specialty hours do not count towards completing the journey-level apprenticeship program. The bill also exempts employers from certain continuous employment requirements for the apprenticeship, provided they ensure at least 800 program-qualifying hours annually.
HB 1173 clarifies the wage payment requirements for "skilled journeypersons" working in facilities subject to specific workforce regulations. The bill mandates that these journeypersons must be paid at a rate at least commensurate with typical wages for their occupation in the local geographic area. This includes a minimum hourly rate set at the seventy-fifth percentile of occupational employment statistics for the relevant occupation and area. Additionally, workers in apprenticeable occupations who do not meet the definitions of registered apprentice or skilled journeyperson are to be considered skilled journeypersons for the purpose of their wage entitlement. The act will become effective on January 1, 2026.
Substitute Senate Bill 5191 modifies the definition of "employer" within the state's paid family and medical leave law. It clarifies that representatives for employers of dockworkers are considered employers for the purpose of collecting paid family and medical leave premiums. This applies to dockworkers who typically work for several employers interchangeably under a collective bargaining agreement, ensuring premium collection for this specific group of workers.
House Bill 1605 establishes a longevity bonus program for eligible commissioned employees of the Washington State Patrol. It provides an annual $15,000 bonus, paid quarterly, for those with 26 or more years of service, beginning July 1, 2024. Employees who met this service requirement before July 1, 2024, also qualify for a one-time retention incentive. These bonuses are intended for retaining senior personnel, do not count towards pension calculations, and are subject to collective bargaining agreements, with the program expiring on June 30, 2029.
This bill modifies Washington's workers' compensation benefits, primarily affecting injured workers and their families. For claims with an injury date on or after July 1, 2026, it updates how permanent total disability benefits are calculated. These changes include adding the employer's health care contributions to benefits and adjusting the percentage of a worker's wages received based on marital status and the number of children. Additionally, the bill ensures that child-related compensation payments are made directly to the person with legal custody of a child, rather than to an injured worker or surviving spouse who does not have custody. The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
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.
