STATE GOVERNMENT
Update on pro-worker legislation
With about three weeks remaining in the 2026 legislative session, here are the labor priority bills dead and alive in Olympia
OLYMPIA, WA (February 18, 2026) — The 2026 legislative session is hurtling towards its close on March 12, with many labor-supported bills still in play. February 17 marked the house of origin cutoff, when bills introduced in the House or Senate must receive a floor vote within the body they were introduced in order to advance. While legislation can be deemed “necessary to implement the budget” (NTIB) and revived later in session, typically if a bill hasn’t progressed out of the house of origin by cutoff, that legislation won’t move this session.
Dozens of workers-first priorities continue to advance, like HB 2355, establishing labor protections for domestic workers (Thomas, D-Seattle) and HB 2479, concerning the recovery of unpaid wages. (Fosse, D-Everett). But some pro-worker bills do not look to be advancing, like SB 6045 (Saldaña, D-Seattle), which would have protected farmworkers’ right to collectively bargain and HB 1622 (Parshley, D-Olympia) which would have allowed public employees to bargain over AI in the workplace.
Below is an update — effective today at 7:00 a.m. — on the status of priority legislation listed in the 2026 Legislative Agenda of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Note: bills listed in green are still moving in the Legislature. Bills marked in red are not.
Expand Collective Bargaining
SB 6045 — Placing agricultural employees under the jurisdiction of the public employment relations commission for the purpose of collective bargaining. SB 6045 passed out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee but did not receive a vote on the floor before House of Origin cutoff.
HB 1570 — Concerning collective bargaining for certain employees who are enrolled in academic programs at public institutions of higher education. HB 1570 passed the House 58-35 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
HB 2249 — Amending the state civil service statutes to include Washington technology solutions network and security systems employees. HB 2249 passed the House 85-10 and was heard in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections on Feb. 16.
HB 1622 — Allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence. HB 1622 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee but was not brought forward for a vote on the House floor.
HB 1069 — Allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits. HB 1069 passed the House 72-19; referred to Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce.
SB 5944 — Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. SB 5944 passed the Senate 44-5 and is scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on Feb. 18.
HB 2471 — Concerning collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act. HB 2471 passed the House 58-35; now referred to the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce.
Worker Rights
SB 5882 — Concerning industrial insurance coverage for post-traumatic stress disorders affecting local correctional facility workers. SB 5882 was heard in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means but was not moved out of committee by cutoff.
HB 2091 — Requiring public employers under chapter 41.80 RCW to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives. HB 2091 passed the House 93-1 and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce on Feb. 20.
HB 1182/SB 5379 — Granting interest arbitration to certain parks and recreation commission employees. SB 5379 was heard in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means but did not advance by cutoff. HB 1182 did not receive a hearing this session.
HB 1723/SB 5572 — Promoting the efficient administration of school construction assistance program projects. Neither HB 1723 nor SB 5572 were heard this session.
Workplace Protections
HB 2105 — Concerning immigrant worker protections. HB 2105 passed the House 56-38 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
HB 2492 — Requiring state registered apprenticeships in the building and construction trades to provide behavioral health and wellness training. HB 2492 passed off the House floor by a vote of 79-16 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
HB 2345 — Concerning contributions in the state paid family and medical leave program. HB 2345 passed out of the House 94-0 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce.
SB 5292 — Concerning paid family and medical leave rates. SB 5292 passed the Senate 43-5 and has been referred to the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee.
HB 2355 — Establishing labor protections for domestic workers. Both HB 2355 passed the House 57-39 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
SB 5847 — Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation. SB 5847 passed the Senate 30-18 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on Feb. 18.
HB 1155 — Prohibiting non-competition agreements and clarifying nonsolicitation agreements. HB 1155 passed the House 65-29 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
SB 6197 — Enforcing plumbing contractor requirements. SB 6197 passed the Senate 49-0 and will now move to the House.
HB 2160/SB 5883 — Concerning eligibility for membership in the school employees’ benefits board programs during the second school year of employment. Both HB 2160 and SB 5883 received hearings in their respective committees but did not advance by the cutoff deadline.
HB 2391 — Concerning disclosure of lists of individuals under the public records act. HB 2391 did not receive a hearing this session.
Defending Fair Pay and Good Jobs
HB 1292/SB 5113 — Concerning cost-of-living adjustments for plan 1 retirees of the teachers’ retirement system and public employees’ retirement system. Neither HB 1292 nor SB 5113 received a hearing this session.
SB 5061 — Requiring certain wages in public works contracts to be at least the prevailing wage in effect when the work is performed. SB 5061 passed the Senate 30-19 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on Feb. 18
HB 2730 — Clarifying the metric for judging the effectiveness of aerospace tax preferences. HB 2730 was referred to the House Finance Committee but did not receive a hearing this session.
HB 2416 — Concerning fair treatment of waste to energy facilities under the climate commitment act. HB 2416 passed the House 67-30 and will now move to the Senate.
HB 1857 — Concerning asbestos-containing building materials. HB 1857 was referred to the House Environment & Energy Committee but was not heard this session.
Center Workers in AI Policy
HB 2481/SB 6312 — Prohibiting surveillance-based price discrimination and surge pricing for retail goods. Both HB 2481 and companion SB 6312 received hearings in their relevant committees but failed to advance before cutoff.
HB 2144 — Requiring notices to employees when electronic monitoring is used to assist employers conducting performance evaluations. HB 2144 was heard in the House Committee on Appropriations but failed to advance before cutoff.
SB 5995 — Concerning moneys available to a port district allocated for the purchase of zero and near zero emission cargo handling equipment. SB 5995 passed the Senate 31-18 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Local Government on Feb. 20.
HB 1984/SB 5042 — Concerning vehicle and operator requirements for autonomous vehicles. Neither HB 1984 nor SB 5042 received hearings this session.
Support Union Clean Energy Jobs
HB 2509 — Improving the efficiency of the review of applications by the energy facility site evaluation council. HB 2509 was not heard in the House Environment & Energy this session.
Defend Workers from Exploitation
HB 2156 — Concerning the authority of investigators of the attorney general’s office. HB 2156 passed the House 54-43 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on Feb. 20.
HB 2479 — Concerning the recovery of unpaid wages. HB 2479 passed the House 94-0 and has been referred to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.
Develop a Budget That Supports Working Families
SB 6346 — Establishing a tax on millionaires. SB 6346 passed the Senate 27-22 and has been referred to the House Finance Committee.
Health & Safety
HB 1810 — Concerning seismic hazard risk reduction. HB 1810 did not receive a hearing this session.
HB 2472 — Ensuring that work on fire protection sprinkler systems is performed by licensed contractors and certified fitters. HB 2472 passed the House 92-3 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce.
HB 1070/SB 5043 — Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting correctional facility workers. SB 5043 was heard in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means but did not advance by cutoff. HB 1070 did not receive a hearing this session.
SB 5972 — Expanding the definition of uniformed personnel regarding correctional officers for purposes of interest arbitration. SB 5972 passed the Senate 34-15 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on Feb. 18.
Care Work
HB 2155/SB 5904 — Concerning the use of nursing titles. SB 5904 passed the Senate 49-0 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Feb. 20. HB 2155 passed the House 87-8 and has been referred to the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee.
SB 5500 — Defining the cost of quality child care for the biennial survey. SB 5500 passed the Senate 30-19 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations on Feb. 18.
HB 1128 — Establishing a child care workforce standards board. HB 1128 passed the House 63-29 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce on Feb. 20.
Health Care
HB 1496 — Strengthening patients’ rights regarding their health care information. HB 1496 passed the House Appropriations Committee but was not brought forward for a vote on the House floor.
SJM 8002 — Concerning Medicare. SJM 8002 passed the Senate 49-0 and has been scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness on Feb. 18.
HB 2360 — Expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools. HB 2360 passed the House 60-34 and has been referred to the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.
HB 2372/SB 6067 — Concerning workers’ compensation benefits. Both HB 2372 and SB 6067 were referred to fiscal committees but failed to advance out of committee before cutoff.
Licensing & Certification
SB 6302 — Concerning misclassification in the finishing trades on public works projects. SB 6032 passed the Senate 37-11 and has been scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards on Feb. 18.
HB 2422 — Concerning private security guards. HB 2422 was heard in the House Committee on Appropriations but did not advance out of committee before cutoff.
Labor Voice
SB 6253 — Concerning public transportation benefit area governing bodies. SB 6253 passed out of the Senate Committee on Transportation but was not brought to a vote on the Senate floor.
HB 1036 — Adding labor trustees to college boards. HB 1036 was referred to the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee but did not receive a hearing this session.
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