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Senate committee advances bill limiting employer questions about age before interview
Summary
House Bill 3187A, which would make it unlawful for employers and employment agencies to request an applicant's age or date of birth before the initial interview or a conditional job offer, was forwarded to the Senate floor after committee debate about enforcement and employer burden.
House Bill 3187A moved out of the Senate Committee on Labor and Business on May 6, 2025 with a due‑pass recommendation after committee members debated the measure's balance between protecting applicants from age discrimination and adding regulatory burden on employers.
The bill would prohibit employers, prospective employers and employment agencies from requesting or requiring disclosure of an applicant's age, date of birth, or when an applicant attended or graduated from an educational institution prior to completing an initial interview or making a conditional offer. Exceptions are allowed when the information is necessary to establish a bona fide occupational qualification or to comply with federal, state or local law, rule or regulation. The bill also narrows an apprenticeship exception tied to completion of training before age 70.
Members of the committee supported the bill's goal of preventing age‑related screening and protecting older workers' employment prospects. Senator Steve Hamill (for example) said he appreciated the sponsors' work to strengthen protections and noted the value of age diversity in the workforce. Other members, including Vice Chair Bonham, expressed concern about adding layers of compliance for employers and said the change could be burdensome for businesses that already face hiring challenges.
Jessica Santiago, senior deputy at the Office of Legislative Counsel, told the committee the measure targets screening that can occur in preliminary phases of hiring and that it would prohibit certain discriminatory screening practices before an initial interview or offer. She cautioned that the statute cannot eliminate every possible method an employer might use to infer age, but it creates additional guardrails on pre‑interview screening.
The committee recorded some dissent in discussion; one senator said he intended to vote no on the measure in committee because of business‑burden concerns but might reconsider on the floor. After a roll call the motion to forward HB 3187A carried and Senator Patterson agreed to be the Senate carrier.
The committee also heard that the bill had been negotiated and amended before the session to address concerns. Proponents told the committee it would prevent employers from using proxies for age during initial screening and would protect older workers from exclusion before they are even interviewed.
The committee's action sends HB 3187A to the full Senate for further consideration.
