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Bill would hold owners and direct contractors liable for subcontractors' unpaid wages; workers tell personal stories

Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee · February 2, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Senate Bill 60‑68 would make owners and direct contractors jointly and severally liable for unpaid wages, benefits and other amounts owed by subcontractors; worker witnesses gave personal accounts of unpaid wages and proponents said the change would speed payments, while industry groups warned of higher costs and unintended consequences.

Committee staff presented the proposed substitute for Senate Bill 60‑68, which would make owners and direct contractors jointly and severally liable for unpaid wages, benefit contributions, missed meal and rest compensation and related damages owed to unrepresented employees of direct contractors or subcontractors at any tier. The bill includes a notice‑and‑cure period (21 calendar days) and mandatory penalties and double damages in…

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