SB 6302 passed the House by a near-unanimous vote. The House did not amend the bill, so there is no need for concurrence with the Senate. The bill’s next stop is the Governor’s desk for final signature.

The amendments adopted in the Senate removed the provisions that were concerning to cities, at which point AWC took a neutral position on the bill.

If signed, the bill goes into effect on June 10, 2026.

Amendments to independent contractor proposal mitigate cities’ concerns

February 16, 2026

Feedback from the contractor lobby and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) led the Senate to significantly amend SB 6302 before passing it off the floor. AWC is pleased to report that the amended version removes cause for concern from the city perspective.

To that end, please send us your feedback on the implications the current bill may have for your city or town.

SB 6302 now states that if a contractor or subcontractor engages three or more independent contractors to perform the same type of covered finishing work at the same time on a public works project, L&I, upon referral for investigation, must investigate to determine whether the individuals performing the work have been misclassified as independent contractors.

Parties that can make a referral for investigation include:

• The state, county, municipality, or political subdivision awarding the public works contract;
• Any contractor or subcontractor on the public works project;
• Any labor organization that represents individuals performing covered finishing work on the public works project; or
• Any individual performing covered finishing work on the project.

If L&I investigates such a claim and finds that a worker performing covered finishing work has been misclassified as an independent contractor, the contractor or subcontractor that hired the worker is subject to all applicable prevailing wage requirements, liabilities, and penalties.

Date to remember

SB 6302 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on Wednesday, February 18, at 8 am.

Public works project costs could increase under proposed contracting requirements

February 2, 2026

Legislation to improve conditions for independent contractors hired on public works projects is under consideration in the Senate.

SB 6302, sponsored by Sen. Steve Conway (D–Tacoma), prohibits a contractor or subcontractor from hiring more than two independent contractors to perform finishing work on a public works project. The bill defines finishing work as work in drywall, flooring, tiling, painting, and glazier and glasswork.

Under the bill, if more than two independent contractors are hired to perform finishing work on a public works project, the contractor or subcontractor must pay those workers the prevailing wage and provide workers’ compensation coverage.

While the intention of the legislation is laudable, AWC is concerned about unintended consequences. The proposal lacks important details for implementation and may create a disincentive for contractors to follow the law. Of even more relevance to cities, the additional costs to contractors and subcontractors that the policy would inevitably generate would be passed on to the project owners. This is at a time when costs for construction and related work already present a considerable challenge for local governments.

AWC anticipates that amendments to the proposal will be offered to address concerns raised during a public hearing and plans to engage, based on the substance of proposed changes.

SB 6302 was heard last week in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee and is scheduled for a vote in the same Committee on Tuesday, February 3, at 10:30 am.