AN ACT Relating to removing the sunset date for an employer's ability to correct wage and salary disclosures;
SB 6100 removes the sunset date on Washington’s employer wage-and-salary disclosure requirements and makes those disclosure rules permanent. The bill requires employers, in job postings for open positions, to disclose either the wage scale or salary range, or a fixed wage amount if only a fixed wage is being offered, along with a general description of benefits and other compensation. It also clarifies that “posting” includes direct and third-party recruiting postings, including electronic and hard-copy postings, while excluding digitally replicated solicitations published without employer consent.
The bill also extends disclosure obligations to internal transfers and promotions when an employee requests the information. For employers with 15 or more employees, it creates a short cure period: if an employer receives written notice of a violation, it may correct the posting within five business days before a job applicant may pursue remedies, and if corrected in time, penalties and damages generally cannot be assessed for that violation. The bill further specifies that the Department of Labor and Industries may investigate complaints, attempt conciliation, issue citations, assess statutory damages and civil penalties, and order other relief, while also allowing a private right of action by affected applicants or employees.
SB 6100 would amend Washington’s wage disclosure statute in RCW 49.58 to eliminate the expiration date on the employer posting-disclosure requirements, making the current pay-transparency framework ongoing rather than temporary. It preserves and reinforces existing obligations for employers to disclose pay ranges and benefits in job postings and, upon request, for internal transfers and promotions, while also defining enforcement procedures, remedies, and exclusivity of remedies under the statute. Employers, job applicants, and employees would be directly affected, and the Department of Labor and Industries would retain administrative enforcement authority.
The bill’s overall tone is supportive of continued pay transparency and employer compliance, as reflected by its straightforward extension of an existing disclosure regime rather than a major policy change. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented opposition or support in the supplied materials beyond the bill’s purpose and structure. The text suggests a legislative intent to keep wage disclosure protections in place permanently and to maintain enforcement mechanisms for applicants and employees.
The main point of contention likely concerns employer compliance burdens versus worker pay-transparency rights. Employers may object to mandatory disclosure of wage ranges, benefits, and compensation in postings, as well as the administrative and litigation exposure created by statutory damages, civil penalties, and attorney fees. The bill partially addresses employer concerns by adding a five-business-day cure period after written notice for covered employers, but it still preserves enforcement through the Department of Labor and Industries and private lawsuits. No specific stakeholder positions are included in the provided record, so these are the likely areas of dispute based on the bill text.