BILL REQ. #: H-4838.1

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SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 3024
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State of Washington

61st Legislature

2010 Regular Session

By House Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Conway, Morrell, Van De Wege, Williams, Sullivan, Seaquist, Green, Campbell, Simpson, Wood, and Nelson)

READ FIRST TIME 02/02/10.

AN ACT Relating to meal and rest breaks for employees of hospitals; and adding a new section to chapter 49.12 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 49.12 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW shall provide employees uninterrupted thirty-minute meal breaks and rest breaks of at least ten minutes or as otherwise agreed to be provided by the employer, whichever is longer, unless there is:
     (a) An unforeseeable emergent circumstance as defined in RCW 49.28.130; or
     (b) A clinical circumstance that may lead to patient harm without the specific skill or expertise of the employee on break.
     (2) Rest breaks may be taken at any point during each four-hour work period during which the employee is required to receive the rest break.
     (3) Reporting a missed break is not grounds for discrimination, dismissal, discharge, or any other penalty, threat of reports for discipline, or employment decision adverse to the employee.

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