H-0802.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1886

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Sheahan, McMorris, Sherstad, Lambert, Mulliken, Honeyford, Clements, Mitchell, Thompson and Sullivan

Read first time 02/12/97.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Providing immunity from civil liability for information provided by former or current employers to prospective employers.

    AN ACT Relating to information provided by former or current employers to prospective employers; and adding a new section to chapter 4.24 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 4.24 RCW to read as follows:

    An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee's job performance, conduct, or other work-related information, to a prospective employer, is presumed to be acting in good faith and is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences.  For purposes of this section, the presumption of good faith may only be rebutted upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the employer was knowingly false or deliberately misleading.

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