It’s mid-session cutoff season here in Olympia, when the Legislature starts to narrow down the wide array of bills from their early session highs.

January 31 was the first policy committee cutoff, where bills had to be voted out of committee in their house of origin to remain alive for the session. February 5 was the first fiscal committee cutoff, where bills had to be voted out of fiscal committees (House: Appropriations, Finance, Capital Budget, and Transportation; Senate: Ways & Means and Transportation) to remain alive. February 13 is the house of origin floor cutoff, where most bills must be voted out of their chamber of origin to stay alive.

Here’s an overview of the bills that we’ve been tracking in the HR & labor relations realm so far this session. You can find more detailed and up-to-date information on these and other bills in AWC’s new bill tracker.

Bills that remain alive (for now)

Employer political & religious speech: Companion bills HB 1940/SB 5778 prohibit employers from punishing employees for not participating in employer-sponsored religious or political speech. Both bills left their respective policy committees with amendments exempting political or religious speech necessary to the employee’s job duties.

Interest arbitration for 911: SB 5808 permits public safety telecommunicators (like 911 dispatchers) to pursue binding interest arbitration in disputes over collective bargaining agreements. An amendment was added to not give state-employed public safety telecommunicators the new interest arbitration authority. The bill passed out of the Senate on January 31.

Firefighter safety grants: HB 1986/SB 5886 expand L&I firefighter safety grants to assessments and training. The Senate version passed out of the Senate on February 1.

Stay at Work program: HB 2127 includes Stay at Work program reimbursement increases and program changes. It also permits funds to be used for basic skills development for injured workers and permits workers to pursue basic skills and light duty work at the same time.

Long-term care program: SB 6072 changes the WA Cares long-term care program to include benefits portability, new exemptions, and supplemental insurance, among other things.

Temporary disability: HB 1927 reduces the length of time needed to qualify a workplace injury for temporary disability compensation.

AI in the workplace: SB 6299 limits employer use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. An amendment was added that requires employers to get employee consent to use their likeness 30 days prior to the time of use. The amendment also clarifies that the bill does not change mandatory subjects of collective bargaining.

Paid sick leave expansion: HB 1991/SB 5793 expand the definition of “family member” for the purposes of the state paid sick leave law and permits employees to use paid sick leave when their work, or their child’s school or childcare, is closed due to public emergency.

Dead bills*

PFML premiums: HB 1959 applies PFML premiums payroll tax to small employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Hard-to-place job seekers: SB 5472 creates tax incentives for hiring "hard-to-place" job seekers.

Employee personnel files: SB 5924 requires employers to provide an employee's personnel file on request within 21 calendar days. AWC was concerned about the private right of action contained in the bill.

*Dead bills are only “mostly dead” in the sense that the Legislature could take extraordinary action to revive bills that missed a cutoff. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. Bills are only well and truly dead when the gavel drops on sine die.