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Bill would add WATEC cybersecurity staff into civil‑service coverage; WATEC raises hiring concerns

State Government, Tribal Affairs and Elections Committee · February 16, 2026

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Summary

House Bill 2249 would remove a WATEC exemption so network and security systems employees are covered by civil‑service law; unions testified it fixes an obsolete exemption for roughly 20 IT staff, while WATEC urged caution about recruiting flexibility for modern tech roles.

House Bill 2249, discussed Feb. 16, would amend state civil‑service statutes to include Washington Technology Solutions (WATEC) network and security systems employees among positions covered by classified service.

Sponsor testimony said roughly 20 IT security specialists are affected; Representative Salahuddin described the change as a narrow correction to ensure parity with comparable classifications across state agencies. Ashley Houston of the Washington Federation of State Employees said the exemption dates to WATEC’s founding and appears obsolete now that identical classifications elsewhere are unionized. “When workers want to join the union, they deserve the opportunity to do so,” she said.

WATEC’s director of policy, Joshua Johnston, signed in as other and recommended further engagement, arguing exempt positions provide flexibility to recruit high‑level talent for rapidly changing technology needs, including artificial intelligence and cybersecurity work. He asked the committee to consider unintended impacts before statutory change.

The committee closed the hearing after testimony and recorded mixed portal sign‑ins; sponsors said they would follow up with requested implementation details, including the number of affected employees.