In addition to long-term care and workers’ compensation, there are several other HR-related bills cities should know about. They range from PFML, new licenses for EMTs and paramedics, to new notifications employers must give employees.

UI and PFML premium relief

HB 2031 / SB 5873 are companion bills that provide relief from increased premiums for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) programs. The bills lower the UI social cost factor to 0.5% (from 0.75%) in 2022 and to 0.7% (from 0.8%) in 2023. This will reduce the UI premium rates for those years. Additionally, they also reduce the 2022 PFML premiums for employees. The overall 2022 PFML premium rate of 0.6% will remain but the Legislature will use an infusion of general funds to cover about 1/3 of the total premium, an amount which otherwise would have been covered by a premium increase on employees. Employers will still be responsible for about 27% of the PFML premiums, as we wrote in November.

Dates to remember

HB 2031 is scheduled for public hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on Friday, January 28 at 8 am.

SB 5873 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Monday, January 24 at 4 pm.

PSLF notifications

SB 5847, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D–Mukilteo), requires public employers to annually provide employees informational materials about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The program allows public employees to have certain student loans partially forgiven after meeting specified qualifications. The bill requires the state Student Loan Advocate to develop informational materials on the PSLF program for employers to distribute. It also requires the Office of Financial Management to develop a program for state agencies and public service employers to certify employment for the purposes of their employees’ participation in PSLF.

Dates to remember

SB 5847 was heard in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee on January 20. It is scheduled for a committee vote on Tuesday, January 25 at 1:30 pm.

Provisional EMTs and paramedics

SB 5900, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D–Sequim), creates a provisional license for out-of-state emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics that come to work in Washington. The provisional license would allow EMTs or paramedics who are currently licensed or certified in another state, and who have a national EMT certification, to have a valid license to work in Washington when they are hired by a Washington-based emergency medical services agency, like a city fire department.

Dates to remember

SB 5900 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on Monday, January 24 at 1:30 pm.

Falsified COVID-19 documents

SB 5667, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D–Shoreline), makes it a misdemeanor for a person to knowingly offer false proof of COVID-19 vaccination. It also creates a class C felony for a person to knowingly sell, offer to sell, otherwise transfer, possess with intent to sell or transfer fraudulent proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Dates to remember

SB 5667 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Monday, January 24 at 9:30 am. It is also schedule for a committee vote on Thursday, January 27 at 10:30 am.

Paid sick leave verification

SB 5559, by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D–Sequim), limits the types of verifications employers can require from certain employees when they apply for leave under Washington’s paid sick leave laws. Employers that do not offer employee health insurance benefits that cover at least 85% of the cost of insurance can only require employees applying for paid sick leave to provide a written or oral explanation verifying that the sick leave was for an authorized purpose; the employer may not require a medical exam or doctor’s note as verification. The bill is meant to prevent employers from requiring employees to see a medical provider in order to qualify for paid sick leave they are entitled to when the employer does not provide adequate insurance to reasonably cover the cost of medical care.

Dates to remember

SB 5559 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee on Monday, January 24 at 9:30 am.

Nondisclosure agreements

Two bills have been introduced that would limit the use of employer/employee nondisclosure agreements in regard to certain illegal activities or harassment. HB 1795 makes provisions of nondisclosure agreements unenforceable if they prohibit disclosure of illegal discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage & hour violations, sexual assault, or other activities clearly against public policy occurring in the workplace. Similarly, SB 5520 prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign, as a condition of employment, a nondisclosure agreement that restricts disclosure of workplace harassment or discrimination.

Dates to remember

HB 1795 was heard in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee on January 18, and is scheduled for a committee vote on Wednesday, January 26 at 10 am.

SB 5520 was heard in the Senate Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee, and was voted out of committee on January 20 on a 6-3 vote. The bill now heads to the Senate Floor.