Senate Labor & Commerce committee advances multiple labor bills, holds one for amendments

The Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on Friday took action on a slate of labor-related House bills, forwarding several measures to the next stages of the legislative process and holding one bill for further amendments.

Key actions: Engrossed House Bill 18 74, requiring textured-hair training to be added to cosmetology curricula, received a do-pass recommendation to the rules committee. House Bill 12 75, expanding Labor & Industries' authority to ensure payment from self-insured employers after certification withdrawal, was recommended to the rules committee. Second Substitute House Bill 17 88, changing workers' compensation benefit percentages, was recommended to the ways and means committee. Second Substitute House Bill 15 24, adding enforcement provisions concerning isolated employees and modifying related statutory definitions, received a do-pass recommendation. Second Substitute House Bill 11 62, requiring healthcare settings to investigate workplace violence incidents and to review and update prevention plans annually, had Amendment B.1 (technical cross-reference and wording change from "report" to "summary") adopted and was recommended to the ways and means committee.

Other items advanced with little debate included Engrossed House Bill 18 79 (hospital meal/rest period waiver provisions), House Bill 13 41 (allowing the Liquor and Cannabis Board to verify medical-cannabis excise tax exemptions using the medical-cannabis authorization database), Substitute House Bill 11 05 (exempting certain exclusive bargaining representatives from coalition bargaining requirements), and House Bill 10 68 (expanding interest-arbitration eligibility to Washington Management Service and certain Department of Corrections employees). The fiscal note for House Bill 10 68 shows a cost of $450,000 to the Department of Corrections from the general fund. The committee held Engrossed House Bill 10 69 until next week to allow time to prepare needed amendments.

Votes at a glance (select items): - Engrossed House Bill 18 74 (textured-hair training): passed, do pass to rules committee; fiscal note: no fiscal impact. - House Bill 12 75 (L&I authority for self-insured payment): passed, do pass to rules committee; fiscal note: no fiscal impact. - Second Substitute House Bill 17 88 (workers' compensation percentages): passed, do pass to ways and means committee; fiscal note: not specified. - Second Substitute House Bill 11 62 (workplace violence investigations): amendment B.1 adopted (technical), then bill passed and sent to ways and means; fiscal note: not specified. - House Bill 13 41 (medical cannabis tax verification): passed, do pass to rules committee; fiscal note: no fiscal impact. - Substitute House Bill 11 05 (coalition bargaining exemption): passed, do pass to rules committee; fiscal note: no fiscal impact. - House Bill 10 68 (interest arbitration eligibility for DOC and WMS employees): passed, do pass to ways and means committee; fiscal note: $450,000 general fund cost to Department of Corrections.

The committee chair said committee signatures are required to finalize the record. Most measures passed by voice vote; numeric counts were not provided in the committee transcript.