Labor & Employment

passed · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5023: Providing labor market protections for domestic workers.

Senate Bill 5023 aims to establish labor market protections for domestic workers in Washington state, including nannies, house cleaners, and home care workers. It guarantees these workers minimum wage and overtime pay for hours exceeding 40 per week. The bill mandates uninterrupted meal and rest breaks and requires a written employment agreement outlining terms like pay rate, schedule, and deductions, provided in a language understood by both parties. It also ensures domestic workers can retain personal effects and, if living in the home, cook their own food, while also providing freedom from discrimination and sexual harassment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentGuarantees minimum wage, overtime, breaks, and written agreements for domestic workers, strengthening labor protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Washington · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 5701: Expanding access to records for joint labor management committees for the purposes of enforcing prevailing wage laws.

Senate Bill 5701 expands the definition of an "interested party" under Washington's prevailing wage laws. This change includes Taft-Hartley trusts and joint labor-management cooperation committees within this definition. By becoming "interested parties," these groups gain expanded access to records related to public works projects. The bill aims to strengthen the enforcement of prevailing wage laws, helping ensure that contractors and subcontractors pay the legally required wages and benefits to workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands access for labor committees to enforce prevailing wage laws, strengthening worker pay protections and enforcement mechanisms.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5807: Concerning wellness incentives for public and school employee health benefit plans.

Senate Bill 5807 modifies the wellness programs offered through public and school employee health benefit plans. The bill discontinues the "smart health program," including its wellness incentive and online portal, for these employees, effective January 1, 2028. While employees who meet eligibility requirements for an incentive by December 31, 2027, will still receive it in the 2028 plan year, no new wellness incentives can be earned after that date. The legislation shifts the focus to broader wellness initiatives that emphasize preventative health strategies.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill discontinues wellness incentives in public/school employee health plans, restricting access to wellness program benefits effective 2028.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill discontinues wellness incentives for public/school employees, removing a benefit that employees could earn through health programs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5291: Implementing the recommendations of the long-term services and supports trust commission.

SB 5291 strengthens the WA Cares long-term care program by implementing recommendations from the long-term services and supports trust commission. The bill allows individuals who have paid into the program for at least three years while working in Washington to continue their participation and eligibility for benefits even if they move out of state. It also establishes a clear process for how the program's benefit unit, currently up to $100, will be adjusted annually for inflation using a specific consumer price index. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of approved services to explicitly include long-term services and supports provided in nursing homes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStrengthens WA Cares long-term care program by expanding eligibility (out-of-state moves) and adjusting benefits for inflation, directly advancing healthcare access and coverage for long-term services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands portability of long-term care benefits for workers, ensuring continued eligibility after relocation and inflation adjustments, directly strengthening employment-related benefits.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5083: Ensuring access to primary care, behavioral health, and affordable hospital services.

SB 5083 aims to ensure access to primary care, behavioral health, and affordable hospital services for public employees and their dependents in Washington state. It sets caps on how much health carriers can reimburse in-network hospitals for inpatient and outpatient services, generally limiting them to 200% of Medicare rates in 2027 and 190% in 2029, with higher limits for children's specialty hospitals. The bill also mandates minimum reimbursement rates for in-network primary care and non-facility-based behavioral health services (150% of Medicare) and for rural critical access hospitals. Additionally, it requires certain hospitals to contract with health carriers serving public employees and mandates data sharing with the Health Care Authority for monitoring.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates minimum reimbursements for primary care and behavioral health, caps hospital rates to ensure affordability, and explicitly aims to 'ensure access' to covered services for public employees.92% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill ensures healthcare access/affordability for public employees, expanding employment benefits through mandated reimbursement standards and cost caps.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 5503: Concerning public employee collective bargaining processes.

Senate Bill 5503 revises collective bargaining processes for public employees in Washington State. It modifies how the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) handles petitions to form new bargaining units and allows for the consolidation of existing units represented by the same employee organization. The bill also enhances PERC's procedural authority in setting hearing dates and enforcing subpoenas. Additionally, it establishes specific interest arbitration rights and an impasse resolution process for certain employees of the Department of Corrections.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill enhances collective bargaining by allowing unit consolidation, strengthening PERC authority, and establishing interest arbitration rights, directly supporting labor organizing processes.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate May 19, 2025

SB 5041: Concerning unemployment insurance benefits for striking or lockout workers.

Senate Bill 5041 revises the eligibility rules for unemployment insurance benefits in Washington state for workers involved in labor disputes. The bill removes the disqualification for benefits for individuals whose unemployment is caused by an employer lockout. For workers unemployed due to a strike, the disqualification period now ends on the second Sunday after the strike begins, or when the strike terminates, whichever occurs first. However, benefits received due to a strike are capped at six calendar weeks, and the employer is notified of available mediation services.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill removes disqualification for lockout workers and shortens strike disqualification period, expanding unemployment benefits access for workers in labor disputes, protecting their rights during strikes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · Senate May 17, 2025

SB 5463: Concerning the duties of industrial insurance self-insured employers and third-party administrators.

Senate Bill 5463 expands and clarifies the duties of all self-insured employers and their third-party administrators concerning industrial insurance claims in Washington state. It establishes a clear duty of good faith and fair dealing towards workers, prohibiting actions like coercing workers to accept less than due compensation. The bill empowers the Department of Labor & Industries to investigate violations, impose penalties payable to workers, and mandate corrective actions for repeated failures to uphold this duty. Employers who repeatedly violate these good faith requirements or fail to comply with corrective actions may ultimately have their self-insurer certification withdrawn.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates good faith in claims, prohibits coercion for underpayment, and empowers enforcement to protect worker compensation rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House May 17, 2025

HB 1264: Concerning the salaries of ferry system collective bargaining units.

HB 1264 updates the process for determining salaries and benefits for Washington state ferry system employees represented by collective bargaining units. The bill requires the Office of Financial Management to contract with a nationally recognized firm to conduct comprehensive salary and fringe benefit surveys for maritime employees. These surveys will compare ferry employee compensation with directly comparable positions in both public and private sectors to ensure competitive pay. Information identifying specific private employers in these surveys will not be subject to public disclosure.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates competitive pay surveys for ferry workers in collective bargaining units to ensure compensation aligns with public/private sectors, directly supporting fair wages and collective bargaining.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

signed · Washington · House May 17, 2025

HB 1213: Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program.

HB 1213 expands protections for workers in Washington's state paid family and medical leave program. The bill requires the department to enhance outreach to employees, explaining their eligibility, application process, and reinstatement and nondiscrimination rights. It also mandates increased outreach to employers about their responsibilities and authorizes the department to audit employer records for compliance. Additionally, the bill clarifies premium collection and calculation methods, and ensures the confidentiality of employee information within the program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesClarifies premium collection methods for state paid leave program, ensuring proper fiscal management and program funding continuity.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands protections for workers in medical leave program, enhancing access to healthcare services through improved eligibility outreach and employer compliance enforcement.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly expands worker protections in paid leave program via enhanced outreach, employer compliance audits, and clarified premium rules, directly strengthening employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment