issue area reports | employment & workplace
voted to move it onto the floor . The striker amendment ’ s failure was a missed opportunity to address this very important issue .
Other wage and sex discrimination bills introduced this year were Senate Bill 6651 and Senate Bill 6655 . Both bills were introduced by Sen . Joe Fain , R-Auburn . These bills were similar to the ESHB 1646 striker amendment that was introduced in the Senate .
HB 2931 noncompetition agreements
Failed / AWB Opposed
Rep . Linda Kochmar , R-Federal Way .
the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 49-0 . Unfortunately , the bill was amended in the House three separate times to increase the obligations of employers to accommodate and also created additional causes of legal action against employers . As a result of the amendments , AWB opposed the House version . Ultimately , the bill passed the House 56-41 , but the chambers failed to reach an agreement on the amended version before the special session began , leaving the bill for discussion in 2017 .
ESHB 1646 equal pay and opportunities
Failed / AWB Opposed
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1646 , sponsored by Rep . Tana Senn , D-Mercer Island , was a carryover from the 2015 legislative session . AWB worked in the interim with the prime sponsor of the bill to address the concerns raised by the business community . Instead of trying to address the business community ’ s concerns , the House elected to force last year ’ s bill on the Senate with absolutely no changes . They ignored all the work that was done in the interim . The House refused to make any amendments to the earlier version . An amendment proposed on the House floor that would have addressed several employer concerns failed along party lines with a 47-50 vote . The amendment would have addressed the issues of dual causes of action and the micro-management of day to day business decisions by the state and outside labor interests . AWB continues to believe the concerns raised by the prime sponsor are already addressed by other state and federal laws . Even after the bill passed the House , AWB worked with Senate leadership to propose a striker amendment that would have addressed the problems with the partisan House version . The striker amendment failed to move out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee when it failed to get the necessary signatures even though the Republicans
House Bill 2931 was introduced by Rep . Derek Stanford , D-Bothell . This bill would have restricted the use of non-compete agreements with temporary or seasonal employees , with independent contractors , or for employees terminated without just cause or laid off . The bill would have created a rebuttable presumption that a noncompetition agreement for more than one year or for employees who are not executives is unreasonable and void . In addition , it would have restricted courts from being able to reform the noncompetition agreement . While this bill left non-compete agreements available in Washington , it would have made the use of them so restrictive , they essentially would no longer be available to employers . This bill failed to move out of the House .
Other non-compete agreement legislation introduced this session , but failed to move , was House Bill 2406 . It would have made noncompetition agreements void and unenforceable if the individual subject to the noncompetition agreement works as a hair designer , cosmetologist , barber , manicurist , esthetician , drywall applicator , musician , or works in a fastfood establishment .
Bill considered as part of AWB ’ s voting record
Favorable outcome for Washington businesses
Missed Opportunities
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