Evergreen Reporter

The Washington State Senate has passed a bill that would provide unemployment benefits to striking workers, despite opposition from various sectors including Boeing, the business community, and local governments. Senate Bill 5041 was approved on March 7 by a vote of 28-21, largely along partisan lines. Democratic Senators Mike Chapman and Lisa Wellman joined Republicans in opposing the measure.

The bill allows for a maximum of 12 weeks of unemployment benefits for striking workers and includes an expiration clause after ten years. An amendment requiring annual cost reporting was added during floor debate. A proposed amendment to limit benefits to four weeks was narrowly defeated. This four-week cap aligned with the Employment Security Department's claim that most strikes last no longer than this period.

NFIB members have expressed strong opposition to the bill, sending 170 messages to 40 out of 49 senators in an effort to prevent its passage. The organization continues to oppose the legislation as it moves to the House, where it is expected to pass easily.

In other legislative developments, House Bill 1382 passed the House with a vote of 58-39. The bill aims to align state law with federal transparency rules established during the Trump Administration in 2019 by expanding access to deidentified claims data for researchers and employers.

House Bill 1430 faced opposition from NFIB due to concerns over increased health insurance rates resulting from mandated payment parity between Advance Practice Registered Nurses and doctors.

House Bill 1483 concerning "right to repair" saw near-unanimous support in the House but did not gain backing from Apple, despite amendments addressing some compliance issues with biometric components.

House Bill 1788 proposes an increase in workers' compensation benefits and was passed by a bipartisan majority. However, NFIB opposes this increase due to concerns about inefficiencies in current wage-replacement calculations.

Senate Bill 5408 received broad bipartisan support, allowing employers a grace period of two weeks to correct job postings lacking required salary range information under state law.

Legislative sessions will continue through March 12, followed by committee hearings resuming on March 13. NFIB remains active in monitoring these developments and communicating their positions on key bills still under consideration.