Transcript Highlights:

• In effect, the underlying bill would apply the requirement to all construction worksites. ...establishments

Bills: HB2107, HB2137, HB2243, HB2264

Keywords: construction safety, hazard notification, worksite regulations, labor safety, state law, law enforcement, correctional officers, interest arbitration, collective bargaining, public safety, workers' compensation, healthcare providers, physical therapy, occupational therapy, employment, unemployment insurance, benefits, layoffs, workforce reduction, 904

Summary: The committee heard four bills. HB 2107 would make permanent and slightly narrow a pilot requirement for the Department of Labor and Industries to notify employers or owners within 10 working days when a hazard is found during an on-site inspection at a building construction site. Construction industry groups and L&I supported the bill and said the pilot had worked well, with L&I reporting it had been able to notify owners in almost 96% of cases. No opposition was raised, and the hearing was closed. HB 2137 would remove the 70,000-population threshold for binding interest arbitration for correctional employees in city and county jails. Teamsters witnesses said the change would give corrections officers in smaller jurisdictions the same bargaining rights as other uniformed personnel and could improve safety, staffing, and wages. The Washington State Association of Counties opposed the bill, saying it would increase bargaining and compensation costs for many counties, and asked for amendments requiring arbitrators to consider county finances and making arbitration decisions nonbinding on county appropriations. The hearing was closed without a vote. HB 2264 would clarify unemployment insurance eligibility for workers who volunteer for an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan, removing a court-created “final action” requirement that has led to benefit denials when workers can rescind their election. Supporters, including unemployment advocates and a worker who lost benefits after accepting a severance program, said the bill would prevent workers from being wrongly treated as having quit. NFIB asked about the effect of severance and retirement on eligibility, and ESD said it would follow up in writing. The hearing was closed. HB 2243 would allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to serve as attending providers in the workers’ compensation system. PT and OT witnesses said this would speed access to care, improve return-to-work outcomes, and reduce costs, while business groups, retailers, food industry representatives, NFIB, and the Washington State Medical Association opposed the bill, arguing that attending providers must be able to make accurate diagnoses, certify time loss, and handle impairment ratings, and warning of possible added costs, litigation, and administrative burdens. L&I said adding PTs and OTs as attending providers would require all providers in those categories to join the medical provider network and could cause some to leave the system; the committee closed the hearing and adjourned without taking action.

Transcript Highlights:

• remaining unemployment, employment, and labor market programs are all governed by federal laws, regulations
• So the field checks, according to federal regulations, if we have a domestic worker on site or there's
• Additionally, the scope of the notification requirement is expanded from residential building construction worksites
• to all building construction worksites.

Bills: SB6014, SB5972, SB5869, SB5874

Keywords: pregnancy accommodations, pregnant workers, workplace accommodations, reasonable accommodation, undue hardship, lactation, breastfeeding, express milk, maternity leave, childbirth, pregnancy discrimination, employment law, labor and industries, L&I, confidential records, public records exemption, health care certification, workplace standards, employee rights, employer obligations

Summary: The Labor and Commerce Committee opened its first meeting of the 2026 session with member introductions and a brief overview of committee procedures, including the schedule for future meetings and the expectation that members attend in person when possible. The committee then received an informational presentation from the Employment Security Department on its structure and major programs, including paid family and medical leave, WA Cares, unemployment insurance, workforce services, and agricultural workforce services. Members asked about program eligibility, fraud prevention, call-center capacity, and the solvency of the unemployment trust fund; ESD said WA Cares is in a limited pilot phase, the UI trust fund currently covers about seven months of benefits, and the department would follow up with more detailed information on several issues. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5292, which would replace the current paid family and medical leave rate-setting formula with a forward-looking actuarial model and a four-month reserve target beginning in 2030. Supporters, including labor and employer representatives, said the bill would improve stability and align rates with projected costs, while opponents argued it would lead to higher payroll taxes and questioned the program’s growth and affordability. The sponsor said the bill was intended to stabilize funding and keep the measure narrow, and the hearing closed without a vote. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6014 on pregnancy-related accommodations, which would clarify that employers may not require a doctor’s note for certain basic accommodations and would create a public records exemption for sensitive complaint and investigation records; the sponsor and a public-interest witness said the bill restores the intended privacy protections and removes unnecessary barriers for pregnant and postpartum workers. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 5972, which would extend interest arbitration rights to all correctional officers in jails, regardless of county population. The sponsor and labor witnesses said the current population threshold creates inequities between similarly situated workers and weakens bargaining over safety and staffing, while the bill was framed as a consistency and public safety measure. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5869, which would make permanent and expand a notice requirement for hazards identified at construction sites from residential construction to all building construction sites; construction industry witnesses and L&I supported the change, saying timely notice helps correct hazards quickly, and L&I said it already notifies workers on site and has been able to contact employers within 10 days in most cases. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5874, which would allow ESD to waive penalties for minor errors in quarterly unemployment reports, especially errors tied to new occupational classification reporting requirements; the sponsor said the current penalty structure is overly harsh for small administrative mistakes, and ESD said penalties had risen sharply and the agency was still evaluating the issue. The committee waived the five-day notice rule for two bills, took no final votes on the bills heard, and adjourned after completing public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal regulations do not require officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain a subpoena
• Federal regulations do not require officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain a subpoena
• Like my members are stuck in a fight between state regulators and the federal government.
• , Put us between a rock and a hard place in attempting to comply with federal I-9 regulations and this
• We are regulating communications between an employer and an employee.

Bills: HB2091, HB2105, HB2218, HB2107, HB2137, HB2243, HB2264

Keywords: public employers, employee information, bargaining representatives, labor relations, union representation, immigrant worker protections, immigrant rights, worker protections, I-9 audit, Form I-9, employment eligibility verification, workplace raid, federal immigration inspection, employer notice, anti-retaliation, retaliation, Attorney General enforcement, private right of action, labor law, workplace rights

Summary: The committee first took up executive action on several bills, deferring action on HB 2091 and HB 2243 and advancing HB 2264. HB 2264 would allow workers who voluntarily participate in an employer-initiated layoff or reduction-in-force plan to receive unemployment insurance benefits if their separation results from the plan. Supporters said it would remove confusing language and help laid-off workers access benefits; a member noted similar confusion from past layoffs. The committee voted 9-0 to report HB 2264 out of committee with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard HB 2091, which would extend existing collective bargaining information-sharing requirements to state agencies and certain other public employers covered by the Personnel System Reform Act. The bill would require those employers to provide unions with employee contact and job information, including personal email addresses, so unions can communicate with represented workers. The prime sponsor and union witnesses said the change would close a gap left by prior legislation and improve communication; there was no opposition testimony in the excerpt, and action on the bill was deferred. The bulk of the meeting focused on HB 2218, a workers’ compensation bill that would expand provider choice, require notice to injured workers about their right to choose providers, limit employer steering, allow deviation from treatment guidelines when medically appropriate, speed utilization review, expand continued treatment and reopening options for certain claims, and require written notice and appeal rights when providers are removed from the network. Supporters, including labor, injured-worker advocates, firefighters, and physicians, said the current system delays care and over-relies on rigid guidelines; opponents from business groups and the Department of Labor and Industries warned the bill would weaken evidence-based standards, increase costs, and create vague new penalties. No vote was taken on HB 2218 in the excerpt. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 2105, as proposed substitute, which would require employers to notify workers after an ICE Form I-9 inspection notice, share inspection results, post worker-rights notices, and limit voluntary disclosure of worker records without a subpoena or warrant, with enforcement by the Attorney General and private lawsuits. Supporters framed the bill as a due-process and worker-protection measure for immigrant workers and mixed-status families, while business and county representatives argued the notice and record-sharing requirements, short timelines, and penalties were too burdensome and could conflict with federal enforcement or discourage hiring. No final action on HB 2105 was taken in the excerpt.

Bills: HB2479, HB2091, HB2105, HB2107, HB2151, HB2190, HB2191, HB2218, HB2243, HB2303, HB2345

Keywords: unpaid wages, wage theft, wage recovery, labor standards, Department of Labor and Industries, L&I, worker protection, low-wage workers, back pay, interest on wages, civil penalties, retaliation, immigration status coercion, gig workers, transportation network companies, rideshare drivers, app-based drivers, employment law, wage complaint, payroll enforcement

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2479, the Wage Recovery Act. Staff explained that the bill would create a wage recovery program and account to provide limited advance payments to low-wage workers facing immediate economic harm from unpaid wages, while also giving the Department of Labor and Industries more discretion to prioritize wage complaints and changing civil penalty rules for willful violations. Representative Fosse and several testifiers from labor, business, and legal groups described the bill as a bipartisan, consensus product of the Wage Recovery Work Group and said it would help workers recover wages faster while targeting repeat violators. No one testified in opposition, and the hearing was closed without questions from members. The committee then moved into executive session and took action on several bills. It reported House Bill 291, 2105, 2107, 2151, 2190, 2303, and 2345 out of committee with due pass recommendations, and deferred action on 2191 and 2218. House Bill 2105, concerning employer notice of federal I-9 audits and related worker-record access, was amended with a technical correction and a revised penalty amendment before passing 6-3. House Bill 2151, on factory-built housing and commercial structures, was amended to exempt certain prefabricated enclosures for utility energy equipment. House Bill 2303, prohibiting employer requests for microchip implantation, was amended to remove administrative enforcement and passed 6-3. House Bill 2345, which adjusts paid family and medical leave premium allocations in response to IRS guidance, passed unanimously after members described it as a technical fix to avoid a potential federal tax liability. Other bills passed without substantive controversy: House Bill 291 on employee contact information for bargaining representatives, House Bill 2107 on notifying employers of construction hazards, and House Bill 2190 on paying language access providers for missed appointments. The committee also heard briefings on proposed substitutes and amendments for the remaining bills before voting, and adjourned after completing its executive session actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• except as otherwise provided in this act, no governmental entity may adopt an ordinance, resolution, regulation
• Um, the LP gas industry is regulated by the National Fire Protection Association 58 and 54, and every
• The LP Gas Board is already the regulatory body to regulate those standards.
• Um, we are self-regulated. Most safety. Um, we are self-regulated.
• Most of our industry is self-regulated.

Bills: HB407, SB306, SB320, SB321

Keywords: local redevelopment, tax payments, transient occupancy, state revenue, authority powers, transparency, discretionary accounts, government accountability, public access, online publication, liquefied petroleum gas, safety regulations, public gathering places, cylinder storage, proximity regulations, drycleaning, environmental remediation, pollution, hazardous waste, trust fund

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this bill prohibits a municipality from regulating the number of people who may occupy a dwelling
• It carefully protects the authority of municipalities to regulate master plan subdivisions and historic

Bills: HB1835, HB2561, HB3630

Keywords: manufactured housing, HUD-code, zoning, local government regulations, installation permits, municipal utility district, board meetings, public access, meeting location, transparency, fire prevention, agriculture, local government, fire safety, regulations, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• insurance companies and DIFI itself and the people they hire is be able to bring in really solid regulators
• insurance company has a regulatory home or a state that they are kind of domiciled in, and that regulator
• is the point of contact for regulation nationally, for financial reasons.
• And then all the other regulators can investigate and do other things, but basically that creates kind
• with these 147 companies, because they're kind of the national regulator for us.

Bills: HB2091, HB2118, HB2122, HB2138

Keywords: insurance, financial surveillance, regulations, assessments, Arizona Revised Statutes, mobile food vendors, licensure, food safety, statewide regulations, health standards, zoning, temporary vendors, technical registration, engineering, architect, land surveyor, reciprocity, endorsement, qualification standards, firefighter

Transcript Highlights:

• part of that amendment for Pool 260, sorry, I was catching up—is this in conflict with the federal regulations
• But over time, I mean, they're FDA regulated.
• FDA regulated.
• So this bill ultimately says that these regulations should be modality agnostic, right?

Bills: SB5877

Keywords: anesthesiology, medical personnel, surcharges, licensing, healthcare regulations, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, members, Senate Bill 1145, effective January 1, 2027, transfers the existing licensure and regulation
• Madam Chair, briefly, as a reminder, this bill is about creating more efficiency in the regulation of

Bills: SB1023, SB1145, SB1242, SB1247

Keywords: optometrists, eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, healthcare, vision care, behavior analysis, licensing, psychologist examiners, state regulations, committee authority, mental health, court-ordered treatment, outpatient treatment, audiovisual technology, secure facilities, evaluations, guardian powers, patient rights, assisted living, occupants

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:09:34.240><c> all</c><00:09:34.400><c> times</c><00:09:34.920><c> and</c><00:09:35.040><c> regulations
• </c> care at all times and regulations care at all times and regulations require<00:09:36.160><c> providers
• 01:31:17.640><c> and</c> where a lack of state oversight and where a lack of state oversight and regulation
• has allowed one block to regulation has allowed one block to effectively<01:31:21.120><c> become</c>
• that support every rules and regulations that support every Minnesotan.

Bills: HF4110, HF4101, HF4144, HF3546

Keywords: workplace regulations, employee rights, meal breaks, rest breaks, exemptions, medical assistance, data matching, eligibility, reporting, human services, assisted living, health regulations, inspection authority, vulnerable adults, local government, program integrity, high-risk providers, enrollment requirements, fraud prevention, compliance

Transcript Highlights:

• For one, local governments can regulate property in order to preserve its historic character.
• These requirements would supersede and invalidate contrary regulations in any local government subject
• to the requirements that had not updated its regulations by June 10, 2027.
• And we as a legislature have done some great things around regulation and tenant protections.
• Counties are prohibited from enacting or enforcing official controls, ordinances, or regulations that

Bills: HB2459, HB2480, HB2530, HB2129, HB2223

Keywords: school siting, urban growth, education policy, zoning regulations, community planning, residential development, commercial zones, mixed-use zoning, urban planning, state regulations, public facilities district, regional aquatics, sports facilities, local government, infrastructure, agritourism, agriculture, tourism, economic development, local businesses

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several local government bills, with most of the discussion focused on HB 2480, which would allow residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones for larger GMA-planning cities and limit local governments’ ability to require ground-floor commercial or mixed-use conditions. The bill sponsor and supporters, including the Lieutenant Governor, Governor’s Office, Commerce, builders, business groups, Microsoft, housing advocates, and several city officials, said the bill would help address the housing shortage by unlocking underused commercial land and reducing costly zoning barriers. Opponents and some cities, including Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Des Moines, Bellingham, Lynnwood, Lacey, Pasco, and others, warned it could undermine walkable centers, reduce retail and tax revenue, harm small businesses, and interfere with local planning; several asked for narrower exemptions or amendments. A proposed substitute was described that would expand the bill to mixed-use zones, add exemptions, and require some height flexibility where mixed-use or ground-floor commercial requirements remain. The committee also heard HB 2223, which would create a conflict-of-interest exception allowing irrigation district directors to have a spouse employed under a contract with the district if disclosure and recusal requirements are met, similar to an existing exception for public hospital district commissioners. The sponsor and the Washington State Water Resources Association said the change would help irrigation districts recruit volunteer board members in rural areas. No vote was taken. HB 2530 would extend the deadline for forming a public facilities district for regional aquatics and sports facilities from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2028. Supporters from Olympia and Tumwater said the extension would give local governments more time to form a district and pursue a long-sought aquatic center; one testifier said removing the deadline would not slow the effort. The committee also heard HB 2459, which would expand authority to site schools outside urban growth areas and extend utilities to them beyond the current Pierce County-specific allowance. Supporters, including the sponsor, Tahoma School District, and school advocates, said it would let districts use land they already own to address overcrowding; opponents, including Futurewise, argued it would weaken Growth Management Act planning and should remain a local or regional issue. Finally, HB 2129 on agritourism drew support from farm interests and some county representatives for helping farms diversify income and preserve farmland, while counties and Futurewise asked for more work on definitions and implementation and raised concerns about unintended regulatory effects. The hearings were suspended and reopened multiple times to accommodate testimony, but no final committee action or votes were taken in the transcript.

Bills: SF0082

Keywords: registered agents, corporate governance, entity ownership, business regulations, transparency, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So they're already regulated pretty heavily to have that license.

Bills: SF0082

Keywords: registered agents, corporate governance, entity ownership, business regulations, transparency, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is concerning scissor-stair regulations in the state building code.
• project permit application for residential housing in an urban area would vest under the development regulations
• for residential housing in an urban area would vest under the development regulations in effect at the

Bills: HB2228, HB2273, HB2381, HB2418, HB2388, HB2183, HB2224, HB2267, HB2174, HB1529

Keywords: building code, safety regulations, construction, scissor stairs, state standards, embodied carbon, building materials, sustainability, environment, performance-based codes, building regulations, residential construction, energy efficiency, sustainable design, permit review, project permits, land use, zoning, development regulations, residential development

Summary: The Local Government Committee met in executive session to consider several bills, with HB 2267 and HB 2388 removed from consideration and HB 1529 also removed later due to a technical issue. Staff briefed measures on scissor-stair regulations (HB 2228), embodied carbon in buildings (HB 2273), performance-based building code pathways (HB 2381), permit review processes (HB 2418), county heat response plans (HB 2183), fire protection districts (HB 2224), crash prevention zones (HB 2174), and city use of county road resources (HB 1529). Members discussed amendments on several bills, including changes to heat plan language, permit waiver timing, and building code provisions. HB 2228, as a proposed substitute, was advanced 7-0 after members said the scissor-stair concept could improve housing design while maintaining fire safety. HB 2273, which would require embodied-carbon rules and reporting for buildings, passed 4-3 after supporters emphasized reducing construction emissions and opponents said the industry was not ready. HB 2381 passed 4-3 after adopting Amendment REN 056 and rejecting REN 057; supporters said the bill would create a performance-based compliance option, while opponents objected to making the appendix mandatory for local adoption. HB 2418 passed 7-0 after adopting Amendment 420 and a proposed substitute that removed vesting language, clarified completeness review, and allowed permit-timeline waivers. HB 2183 passed 4-3 after adopting four amendments that updated terminology, addressed grid reliability during heat events, removed subsidy language, and shifted plan development authority to county legislative authorities working with local agencies. HB 2224 passed 6-1 after a substitute revised levy and taxing-limit language for fire protection districts, with the sponsor saying stakeholder concerns had been addressed. HB 2174 passed 6-1 after a substitute renamed the concept crash prevention zones, set a $73 traffic infraction penalty, and created a dedicated account for the funds; members supported the safety goal but raised liability concerns for local governments. The committee adjourned after completing its work for the day and week.

Bills: SB365

Keywords: cash transactions, rounding, legal tender, state regulations, consumer transactions, 923, senate, all

Bills: HB1526

Keywords: liquor license, snack bar, state regulations, alcohol sales, business licensing, 904, all

Bills: SF0024

Keywords: lottery, debit card payments, gambling regulations, state revenue, financial transactions, 916, all

Bills: SF0024

Keywords: lottery, debit card payments, gambling regulations, state revenue, financial transactions, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• addition to financial outcomes for their shareholders, beyond what might be required simply by regulation
• in addition to financial outcomes for their shareholders beyond what might be required simply by regulation
• or beyond what might be required simply by regulation or CRA demands or other types of governmental
• The state regulations were finalized in 2022. This was the nation's first municipal banking law.
• So since the regulations were finalized in 2022, multiple local governments across the state are at various

Bills: SB5754

Keywords: public bank, state bank, finance, banking regulations, economic development, state investment, 904, all

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee met on January 15 for two work sessions and a public hearing. The first work session featured the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine tax preferences. JLARC recommended legislative action on eight of the nine reviews. Topics included natural gas transportation fuel preferences, preferential B&O rates for travel agents and tour operators, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, a property tax exemption for nonprofit multipurpose senior centers, a sales and use tax remittance for disabled veteran adapted housing, a trade convention attendance preference, a B&O exemption for wholesale sales of certain agricultural products, a hazardous substance tax exemption for pesticides stored for out-of-state shipment, and energy tax preferences for a silicon smelter. JLARC generally found that some preferences met their stated or inferred objectives while others did not, and recommended continuations, modifications, or expiration depending on the review. Committee members asked a few questions about industry consolidation in the travel sector and about the housing exemption’s performance measures and reporting issues. The second work session was an overview of public banking, with a presentation from California public banking advocates and testimony from the Bank of North Dakota’s president. Speakers described public banks as government-owned financial institutions that could keep public deposits working in-state, support local lending, and finance infrastructure, housing, disaster recovery, and other public priorities. They cited the Bank of North Dakota as a model and discussed California’s municipal public banking efforts. Committee questions focused on how deposits could be leveraged, how public banks would manage liquidity and risk, and how public banking would interact with existing state investment and pension systems. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5754, which would create a Washington State public bank. Staff explained the bill’s activation process, governance structure, powers, and fiscal impacts, noting that startup costs and broader fiscal effects were largely indeterminate. Supporters included statewide elected officials, county and city officials, labor representatives, public banking advocates, and private citizens, who argued the bank could lower borrowing costs, keep public funds in Washington, expand financing for infrastructure and disaster resilience, and help address the state’s debt and capital needs. Opponents, including a community bankers representative and a county treasurer, argued the proposal posed risks to safety and liquidity, lacked a proven track record, and was unnecessary given existing state lending and investment programs. The hearing concluded without a vote, and the committee adjourned after public testimony.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards