Domestic Workers Bill of Rights passes legislature

Landmark legislation rights the historic exclusion of domestic workers from many labor protections 

OLYMPIA, WA (March 2, 2026) — After years of dedicated organizing, domestic workers in Washington have won a significant victory in the State Legislature, securing passage of legislation to enshrine workplace protections and worker rights for thousands of previously excluded workers across the state. It’s a historic triumph, finally extending protections to domestic workers in private residences — the majority of whom are immigrants and people of color — who have faced decades of exclusion and marginalization.

HB 2355, sponsored by Rep. Brianna Thomas (D-West Seattle), requires minimum wage protections and termination notice, protects the right to keep personal documents, establishes the right to written agreements, includes protections against discrimination, and lays out tools to enforce these rights, including a private right of action.

“This bill is personal to me. I saw firsthand how my mother, a domestic worker, was treated on the job,” said Rep. Thomas in a statement following passage. “When the bill failed to advance last year, I saw tears of disappointment on the faces of domestic workers from across the state. This year, those workers can cry tears of joy. I know I will have to fight them back.”

Rep. Thomas, WSLC VP & Casa Latina’s Silvia Gonzalez, Sen. Saldaña (D-Seattle) and members of Casa Latina pose with a banner to celebrate passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Photo: Casa Latina

Domestic workers’ exclusion from labor protections has a deep and ugly history in the United States. These workers were excluded from the protections of the National Labor Relations Act, a concession to Southern lawmakers who would not vote to protect the rights of Black workers, many of whom worked in private homes at the time. Exclusion from the NLRA and other federal labor laws has perpetuated systemic mistreatment of domestic workers for generations. With HB 2355, Washington is taking significant steps to right this injustice.

The statewide legislation builds off of gains won in Seattle through the 2018 Domestic Workers Ordinance, which established a minimum wage requirement and uninterrupted meal and rest periods, prohibited employers from confiscating workers’ documents, and instituted a Domestic Workers Standards Board to establish further guidelines.

HB 2355 passed the State House 57-39, with Democrat Reps. Richard (Gig Harbor), Rule (Blaine), and Walen (Kirkland) and all House Republicans voting against the bill. It passed the Senate 28-20, with Democrat Sen. Liias (Edmonds) joining all Republicans in opposition.

Casa Latina celebrated the bill’s passage in an instagram post, thanking supporters. And in a statement, Working Washington hailed passage as a landmark victory for domestic workers, and a boon for all of Washington’s workers.

“Our win isn’t just an economic victory; it’s a moral victory. Together, we’re ending a relic of past exclusionary labor laws that have no place in our future. With these new protections and tools, workers in Washington can raise workplace standards for all of us. This win proves once again that worker power changes everything and with it we will make our rights real and level the playing field to make Washington work for us, not just corporations and their billionaire owners.”