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House committee reviews senate changes to H.461 on unpaid leave, votes to concur in committee straw poll
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Summary
The House General and Housing Committee reviewed the Senate-passed version of H.461, a bill expanding unpaid leave, discussed definitional changes and safe-leave provisions, and conducted a straw poll to concur with the Senate version (10-0).
The House General and Housing Committee met May 9 to review changes the Senate made to H.461, "An act relating to expanding unpaid leave," and conducted a straw-poll vote to concur with the Senate version.
Sophie, legislative staff with the Office of Legislative Counsel, summarized amendments the Senate added, including definitional changes and swaps of statutory references. Sophie told the committee the Senate adjusted the domestic-violence definition to incorporate language on "abusive and coercive behavior" from a cited statute (transcribed as "15 BSA 11 o 1") and clarified references that now cite Title 12 rather than Title 15 for certain offenses.
A committee member who identified themself as the bill author said the core intent of H.461 remained unchanged and praised the stronger safe-leave provisions. "The safe leave section is stronger," the committee member said, and recommended the committee concur so the bill could be enrolled and sent on for signature. The committee member also noted the bill retained provisions to allow up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for qualifying family reasons and preserved a 2-week bereavement allowance, with an added limit that no more than five workdays of that bereavement period may be taken consecutively.
Other changes explained by Sophie included moving certain court-related leave—attendance at hearings for orders related to stalking and sexual assault—into a separate statutory section so such leave would not count against an employee's 12-week unpaid leave entitlement. The Senate also added language allowing an employer to request documentation to verify a qualifying family relationship and added a subdivision to safe leave "to respond to a fatality or near fatality related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, either for themselves or for a family member." Sophie said the Senate passage was unanimous on voice vote.
The committee conducted a straw poll on a motion to concur in the Senate version of H.461. The motion was proposed from the floor by a committee member; another member seconded. By raised hands, the committee recorded a 10-0 straw-poll vote in favor of concurrence.
Why this matters: The changes clarified definitions and moved certain court-related protections into a separate bucket so those absences would not reduce employees' 12-week unpaid leave entitlement. Committee members said the changes make the safe-leave language more inclusive and administrable.
Next steps and housekeeping: Committee members agreed to a brief follow-up meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for a run-through of related sections. Sophie said she would circulate the pulled rulemaking sections and the amended language ahead of that meeting.
Ending: Committee members expressed support for enrolling the Senate-passed language and directed staff to prepare the bill for the next floor action.
