Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate passes bill limiting most noncompete agreements after prolonged debate
Summary
The Washington State Senate passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155, prohibiting most noncompete agreements and narrowing non-solicitation rules after floor amendments and a 30–19 final vote; supporters said the bill promotes labor mobility while opponents warned it removes a tool employers use to protect proprietary information.
The Washington State Senate passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 11,55 as amended, a measure that would prohibit most noncompetition agreements and clarify the scope of non-solicitation covenants.
Sen. Stanford, sponsor of the motion to advance the bill, said the measure preserves workers’ ability to change jobs and encourages competition in the labor market. "If I have an opportunity to leave a job and take a better job ... that’s something I should be able to do," Stanford said, arguing the bill protects workers’ mobility while leaving nondisclosure tools available to employers.
Supporters described the bill as a response to labor-market imbalance. Sen. Harris urged adoption of a compromise amendment on thresholds,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
