Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5459: Concerning call center retention.

Senate Bill 5459, also known as the Washington Call Center Jobs Act, requires call center employers with 50 or more workers to provide 120 days' notice to the state before relocating a significant portion (25% or more) of their operations from Washington to a foreign country. Employers who violate this notice requirement may face civil penalties. Furthermore, employers who relocate call center operations to a foreign country become ineligible for state grants or loans for five years. The bill also mandates that state agencies ensure new contracts for call center services are performed entirely within the United States.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires 120-day notice before call center relocations, protecting workers from sudden job loss and imposing penalties for violations, directly advancing worker retention rights.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 5306: Concerning the purchase of pension service credit for authorized leaves of absence.

Senate Bill 5306 clarifies how members of a pension system can accrue or purchase service credit for various authorized leaves of absence. It specifies that members on paid leave continue to receive service credit. For unpaid or part-time leaves, members can purchase up to two years of credit by making contributions within five years of returning to work or prior to retirement, with alternative payment options if deadlines are missed. The bill also details how members who serve in the U.S. uniformed services can receive up to five years of military service credit, including provisions for those who served during wartime and for surviving family members.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill enables pension credit purchase for leave periods, enhancing retirement benefits for workers on authorized leaves, directly supporting employment benefits under Labor & Employment.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1294: Extending the pesticide application safety committee.

House Bill 1294 extends the authorization for the pesticide application safety committee in Washington state. This committee, comprising state agency officials, university experts, and legislative members, is tasked with improving pesticide application safety, particularly in agricultural settings. It aims to achieve this by exploring data collection methods, researching reasons for underreporting of pesticide exposure, and developing educational materials for agricultural workers and their communities. The bill ensures the continuation of this committee and its advisory work group to address ongoing pesticide safety concerns.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill aims to improve pesticide safety through educational materials for agricultural workers, directly advancing workplace safety standards in labor-intensive agricultural settings.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1105: Exempting exclusive bargaining representatives for department of corrections employees from certain provisions related to coalition bargaining.

House Bill 1105 exempts certain exclusive bargaining representatives for Department of Corrections (DOC) employees from specific state rules regarding collective bargaining. Specifically, unions representing most DOC employees with interest arbitration rights will no longer be required to participate in coalition bargaining, a process often mandated for smaller unions. Instead, these individual DOC employee unions will directly negotiate one master collective bargaining agreement with the governor or their designee. This change does not apply to exclusive bargaining representatives for marine department employees at the DOC.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExempts DOC unions from coalition bargaining, allowing direct negotiations - strengthens collective bargaining rights for employee representatives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1879: Concerning meal and rest breaks for hospital workers.

Substitute House Bill 1879 clarifies rules for meal and rest breaks for hospital workers involved in direct patient care or clinical services who are hourly or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The bill mandates uninterrupted breaks, with exceptions for unforeseeable emergent or clinical circumstances, and allows for combining meal and rest periods by mutual agreement. It also permits employees and employers to voluntarily waive certain meal periods or timing requirements under specific conditions, such as a written, revocable agreement. Hospitals must record missed breaks and submit quarterly reports to the Department of Labor & Industries detailing missed, waived, and required breaks. This act takes effect on January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates uninterrupted meal/rest breaks for hospital workers, protecting workplace rights and safety standards per bill's core requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 1524: Concerning workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees.

HB 1524 establishes new workplace standards for employers of "isolated employees" in Washington state, specifically those in hotel, motel, retail, security guard, and property services industries. The bill requires these employers to adopt sexual harassment policies and provide mandatory training to managers, supervisors, and isolated employees on preventing harassment and discrimination. Employers must also provide panic buttons to isolated employees, allowing them to summon immediate assistance. The Department of Labor and Industries is responsible for investigating violations and can issue civil penalties for non-compliance.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires panic buttons, harassment policies, and training for isolated employees, strengthening workplace safety protections in high-risk industries.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 1275: Establishing department authority to ensure payment is received from the self-insured employer after a self-insured group or municipal employer has their self-insurer certification withdrawn.

House Bill 1275 grants the Department of Labor & Industries new authority to ensure workers' compensation payments are made when a self-insured employer's certification is withdrawn. This applies to self-insured groups, counties, cities, and other municipal employers. Under the bill, if an employer's self-insurer status is terminated, the department will step in to pay compensation to affected workers. The decertified employer is then required to reimburse the department for these payments through a schedule determined by the director, who will also adopt rules for implementing these financial obligations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnsures workers' compensation payments continue when self-insurer certification is withdrawn, protecting worker benefits and rights under employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 1156: Concerning volunteer firefighter participation in the state deferred compensation program.

House Bill 1156 allows volunteer firefighters to participate in the state's deferred compensation program. It amends existing law (RCW 41.50.770) to include specific volunteer firefighter participants in the definition of "employee" for the purposes of this program. This change enables these firefighters to defer a portion of their income into a state-sponsored retirement savings plan, offering various investment options.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends retirement savings benefits to volunteer firefighters by including them in the deferred compensation program, expanding employment-related benefits for a specific worker group.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 1075: Expanding housing supply by supporting the ability of public housing authorities to finance affordable housing developments.

HB 1075 amends Washington state law to give public housing authorities more tools to finance affordable housing developments. It allows authorities to form partnerships with nonprofits, include wage requirements in contracts, and manage commercial space within housing projects, while requiring that at least 50% of units in new developments serve low-income residents. The bill directly affects public housing authorities and the low-income renters they serve by streamlining their ability to build and maintain affordable housing. The law, effective July 27, 2025, updates existing authority powers under RCW 35.82.070 to support expanded housing supply.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires 50% low-income units, expands financing tools for public housing authorities, and enables nonprofit partnerships to increase affordable housing supply.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates wage requirements in housing development contracts, directly advancing worker compensation standards for construction labor in affordable housing projects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 1511: Concerning Washington state ferries captains.

HB 1511 clarifies that Washington state ferry captains are the ultimate authority for vessel operations and safety. The bill requires captains in the current "masters, mates, and pilots" bargaining unit to vote by August 31, 2025, on whether to join a new combined union representing all three roles. If a majority votes yes, a unified bargaining unit will take effect on July 1, 2026, replacing the separate captain-only unit. This change directly affects ferry captains and their union representation, with no impact on existing safety or operational responsibilities.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill enables unified bargaining unit for ferry captains, strengthening collective bargaining rights by allowing consolidation of separate union units into one representative body.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment