FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 6699

                           FULL VETO

                     As Passed Legislature

Brief Description:  Limiting the liability of a current or former employer who provides information about a current or former employee=s work record to a prospective employer.

Sponsors:  Senators Schow, Anderson, Newhouse, Zarelli, Horn, Winsley, Stevens, Benton, Rossi, Long, Sellar and Oke.

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

House Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  There is concern that employers are reluctant to disclose job reference information.

Summary:  An employer is presumed to be acting in good faith and is immune from liability to an employee for disclosing information to a prospective employer, as long as the information relates to ability to do the job; diligence, skill, or reliability; and illegal or wrongful acts.  To rebut the presumption requires clear and convincing evidence that the disclosure was knowingly false or deliberately misleading.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 31 18

House     55 42 (House amended)

Senate    32 17 (Senate concurred)