STATE GOVERNMENT
Labor wins in the 2026 legislative session
Here’s the rundown of labor priority legislation that’s headed to the Governor’s desk — and policies that didn’t advance this year
OLYMPIA, WA (March 13, 2026) — Sixty days goes by fast. As the gavel fell for Sine Die yesterday evening, more than two dozen pieces of priority legislation for Washington’s labor movement had survived through the sprint of a short session.
Many of these bills passed the legislature with bipartisan support, like HB 2249, which extends collective bargaining rights to some public employees working in cybersecurity and HB 1155, banning non-compete agreements. Some legislation has already been signed into law, like HB 2492, requiring state registered apprenticeships in the building and construction trades to provide behavioral health and wellness training and HB 2355, establishing labor protections for domestic workers.
Now that the legislature’s work is done for the year, Governor Ferguson has 20 days to sign passed legislation into law.
Below is the final status of priority legislation listed in the 2026 Legislative Agenda of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Note: bills listed in green passed the Legislature. Bills marked in red did not.
Expand Collective Bargaining
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 the Senate 29-19 and has been delivered to the Governor.
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 the Senate 40-8 and has been delivered to the Governor.
HB 1069 — Allowing collective bargaining over contributions for certain supplemental retirement benefits. HB 1069 passed the Senate 31-18 and House final passage 78-17 and now awaits the governor’s signature.
SB 5944 — Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. SB 5944 passed the Senate 44-5 and the House 86-10 and has been delivered to the Governor.
HB 2471 — Concerning collective bargaining for employees not covered by the national labor relations act. HB 2471 passed the House 58-35 and Senate 31-18 and has been delivered to the Governor.
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 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.
Worker Rights
HB 2091 — Requiring public employers under chapter 41.80 RCW to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives. HB 2091 passed the Senate 44-4 and House final passage 92-3; now awaits the Governor’s signature.
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.
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.
Workplace Protections
HB 2105 — Concerning immigrant worker protections. HB 2105 passed the Senate 27-21 and House final passage 58-38 and has been delivered to the Governor.
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 Senate 42-6. The governor signed HB 2492 into law on March 9.
HB 2345 🔥 — Concerning contributions in the state paid family and medical leave program. HB 2345 passed out of the House 94-0 and the Senate 49-0; the governor signed it into law on March 11.
SB 5292 — Concerning paid family and medical leave rates. SB 5292 passed the Senate 43-5 and the House 95-1 and has been delivered to the Governor.
HB 2355 🔥 — Establishing labor protections for domestic workers. Both HB 2355 passed the House 57-39 and Senate 28-20; the governor signed it into law March 9.
SB 5847 — Concerning access to medical care in workers’ compensation. SB 5847 passed the House 67-28 and Senate final passage 30-19; it now awaits the Governor’s signature.
HB 1155 — Prohibiting non-competition agreements and clarifying nonsolicitation agreements. HB 1155 passed the Senate 30-19 and House final passage 62-33 and has been delivered to the Governor.
SB 6197 — Enforcing plumbing contractor requirements. SB 6197 passed the Senate 49-0 and House 96-0; it now awaits the governor’s signature.
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 2416 — Concerning fair treatment of waste to energy facilities under the climate commitment act. HB 2416 passed the Senate 39-10 and House final passage 76-20. It now awaits the governor’s signature.
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 was heard in the House Committee on Capital Budget but did not advance by cutoff.
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 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.
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
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 the House 77-17; it awaits the governor’s signature.
HB 1984/SB 5042 — Concerning vehicle and operator requirements for autonomous vehicles. Neither HB 1984 nor SB 5042 received hearings this session.
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.
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 Senate 29-19 and House final passage 54-41 and now heads to the governor for signature.
HB 2479 — Concerning the recovery of unpaid wages. HB 2479 passed the House 94-0 and Senate 49-0. It now awaits the governor’s signature.
Develop a Budget That Supports Working Families
SB 6346 — Establishing a tax on millionaires. SB 6346 passed the 51-46 and Senate final passage 27-21 and has been delivered to the governor for signature.
Health & Safety
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 Senate 45-3; it awaits the governor’s signature.
SB 5972 — Expanding the definition of uniformed personnel regarding correctional officers for purposes of interest arbitration. SB 5972 passed the Senate 34-15 and moved out of the House Committee on Appropriations but did not receive a vote on the House floor before the end of session.
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.
HB 1810 — Concerning seismic hazard risk reduction. HB 1810 did not receive a hearing this session.
Care Work
HB 2155 🔥 — Concerning the use of nursing titles. HB 2155 passed the House 87-8 and Senate 46-2; the governor signed it into law March 9.
HB 1128 — Establishing a child care workforce standards board. HB 1128 passed the Senate 28-19 and House final passage 68-27; it now awaits the governor’s signature.
SB 5500 — Defining the cost of quality child care for the biennial survey. SB 5500 passed the Senate 30-19 and received a hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations but did not advance by the deadline.
Health Care
SJM 8002 — Concerning Medicare. SJM 8002 passed the Senate 49-0 and House 64-32 and has been sent to the governor for signature.
HB 2360 — Expanding access to albuterol in public and private schools. HB 2360 passed the Senate 48-0 and House final passage 79-16. It now awaits the governor’s signature.
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.
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.
Licensing & Certification
SB 6302 — Concerning misclassification in the finishing trades on public works projects. SB 6032 passed the Senate 37-11 and House 92-4 and now awaits the governor’s signature.
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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