﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><CertifiedBill type="pl" xmlns="http://leg.wa.gov/2012/document"><EnrollingCertificate xmlns="http://leg.wa.gov/2012/document" type="hBill"><Table align="center" pubwidth="wide" width="504.0pt" fontFamily="Courier New"><Col width="252.0pt" /><Col width="228.0pt" /><TR><TDEnroll><Passage><PassedBy chamber="h"><PassedDate>March 5, 2025</PassedDate><Yeas>86</Yeas><Nays>10</Nays><Signer /></PassedBy><PassedBy chamber="s"><PassedDate>April 4, 2025</PassedDate><Yeas>37</Yeas><Nays>12</Nays><Signer /></PassedBy></Passage></TDEnroll><TDEnroll><Certificate><P><TextRun>I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is </TextRun><TextRun fontWeight="bold">SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1524</TextRun><TextRun> as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.</TextRun></P><Certifier /><CertifierPosition>Chief Clerk</CertifierPosition></Certificate></TDEnroll></TR><TR><TDEnroll><ApprovedDate /></TDEnroll><TDEnroll><FiledDate /></TDEnroll></TR><TR><TDEnroll><Governor /></TDEnroll><TDEnroll><P textAlign="center"><TextRun fontWeight="bold">Secretary of State</TextRun></P><P textAlign="center"><TextRun fontWeight="bold"> State of Washington</TextRun></P></TDEnroll></TR></Table></EnrollingCertificate><Bill type="bill" xmlns="http://leg.wa.gov/2012/document"><BillHeading><ShortBillId>2SHB 1524.PL</ShortBillId><LongBillId>SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1524</LongBillId><PLMessage><Message>Passed Legislature</Message><PLSession>2025 Regular Session</PLSession></PLMessage><Legislature>69th Legislature</Legislature><Session>2025 Regular Session</Session><Sponsors>House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Obras, Scott, Fosse, Hill, Gregerson, Reed, Berry, Parshley, Salahuddin, Peterson, Simmons, Ormsby, Macri, and Pollet)</Sponsors><BillHistory><ReadDate>READ FIRST TIME 02/28/25.</ReadDate></BillHistory><BriefDescription>Concerning workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees.</BriefDescription></BillHeading>

<BillBody>
<BillTitle>AN ACT Relating to ensuring compliance with and enforcement of certain workplace standards and requirements applicable to employers of isolated employees; amending RCW 49.60.515; creating a new section; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.</BillTitle>
<EnactedClause />
<BillSection type="amendatory" action="amend">
<BillSectionHeader><BillSectionNumber><TextRun>Sec. </TextRun><Value>1</Value><TextRun>.  </TextRun></BillSectionNumber><SectionCite><TextRun>RCW </TextRun><TitleNumber>49</TitleNumber><TextRun>.</TextRun><ChapterNumber>60</ChapterNumber><TextRun>.</TextRun><SectionNumber>515</SectionNumber></SectionCite> and 2019 c 392 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:<Caption>Sexual harassment and assault policy<TextRun fontFamily="Times New Roman">—</TextRun>Adoption of by hotel, motel, retail, or security guard entity, or property services contractors<TextRun fontFamily="Times New Roman">—</TextRun>Requirements.</Caption></BillSectionHeader>
<P>(1) Every hotel, motel, retail, or security guard entity, or property services contractor, who employs an <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employee, must:</P>
<P>(a) Adopt a sexual harassment policy;</P>
<P>(b) Provide mandatory training to the employer's managers, supervisors, and <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employees to:</P>
<P>(i) Prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace;</P>
<P>(ii) Prevent sexual discrimination in the workplace; <TextRun amendingStyle="strike">and</TextRun></P>
<P>(iii) Educate the employer's workforce regarding protection for <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employees who report violations of a state or federal law, rule, or regulation; <TextRun amendingStyle="add">and</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(iv) Inform isolated employees on how to use panic buttons, and inform managers and supervisors on the responsibility to respond to the use of panic buttons;</TextRun></P>
<P>(c) Provide a list of resources for the employer's <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employees to utilize. At a minimum, the resources must include contact information of the equal employment opportunity commission, the Washington state human rights commission, and local advocacy groups focused on preventing sexual harassment and sexual assault; <TextRun amendingStyle="strike">and</TextRun></P>
<P>(d) Provide a panic button to each <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employee. <TextRun amendingStyle="add">An employer must maintain a record of the purchase and utilization of panic buttons provided to its isolated employees under this section. Records must be provided to the department upon request.</TextRun> The department must publish advice and guidance for employers with fifty or fewer employees relating to this subsection (1)(d). This subsection (1)(d) does not apply to contracted security guard companies licensed under chapter 18.170 RCW<TextRun amendingStyle="add">; and</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(e) Document completion of the mandatory training required by this subsection and provide the documentation to the department upon request</TextRun>.</P>
<P>(2)(a) A property services contractor shall submit the following to the department <TextRun amendingStyle="add">on an annual basis</TextRun> on a form or in a manner determined by the department:</P>
<P>(i) The date of adoption of the sexual harassment policy required in subsection (1)(a) of this section;</P>
<P>(ii) The number of managers, supervisors, and <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employees trained as required by subsection (1)(b) of this section; and</P>
<P>(iii) The physical address of the work location or locations at which janitorial services are provided by workers of the property services contractor, and for each location: (A) The total number of workers or contractors of the property services contractor who perform janitorial services; and (B) the total hours worked.</P>
<P>(b) The department must make aggregate data submitted as required in this subsection (2) available upon request.</P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="strike">(c) The department may adopt rules to implement this subsection (2).</TextRun></P>
<P>(3)<TextRun amendingStyle="add">(a) The department must investigate if a complaint is filed with the department alleging a violation of this section or if the department has reason to believe that an employer has committed a violation of this section.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(b) Except when a violation is otherwise resolved, the department must issue: (i) A citation assessing a civil penalty under (c) of this subsection if it finds a violation has occurred; or (ii) a closure letter detailing any findings if it finds that a violation cannot be substantiated. The notice of a citation or closure letter must be sent to the employer by service of process or using a method by which the mailing can be tracked or the delivery can be confirmed to the last known address.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(c) If the department finds a violation of this section, the department may order the employer to pay the department a civil penalty of $1,000 for each willful violation. For a repeat willful violator, the citation assessing a civil penalty must be at least $2,000 for each repeat willful violation, but no greater than $10,000 for each repeat willful violation. The department may, at any time, waive or reduce a civil penalty assessed under this section if the department determines that the employer has taken corrective action to resolve the violation. Penalties collected under this section must be deposited into the supplemental pension fund established under RCW 51.44.033.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(d) An employer who fails to comply with the department's investigation of records within a reasonable time period may not use such records in any appeal to challenge the correctness of any determination by the department.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(4)</TextRun> For the purposes of this section:</P>
<P>(a) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.</P>
<P>(b) "<TextRun amendingStyle="strike">Employee</TextRun> <TextRun amendingStyle="add">Isolated employee</TextRun>" means an <TextRun amendingStyle="strike">individual who spends a majority of</TextRun> <TextRun amendingStyle="add">employee who:</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(i)(A) Performs work in an area where two or more coworkers, supervisors, or a combination thereof are unable to immediately respond to an emergency without being summoned by the employee; or (B) spends at least 50 percent of</TextRun> her or his working hours <TextRun amendingStyle="strike">alone, or whose primary work responsibility involves working without another coworker present, and who is</TextRun> <TextRun amendingStyle="add">without a supervisor or another coworker present; and</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(ii) Is</TextRun> employed by an employer as a janitor, security guard, hotel or motel housekeeper, or room service attendant.</P>
<P>(c) "Employer" means any person, association, partnership, property services contractor, or public or private corporation, whether for-profit or not, who employs one or more persons.</P>
<P>(d) "Panic button" means an emergency contact device carried by an <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employee by which the <TextRun amendingStyle="add">isolated</TextRun> employee may summon immediate on-scene assistance from another worker, a security guard, or a representative of the employer.</P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">A panic button must:</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(i) Be designed to be carried by the isolated employee;</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(ii) Be simple to activate without delays caused by entering passwords or waiting for the system to turn on;</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(iii) Provide an effective signal for the circumstances when activated; and</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(iv) Be able to summon immediate assistance and allow responders to accurately identify the isolated employee's location</TextRun><TextRun amendingStyle="add">.</TextRun></P>
<P>(e) "Property services contractor" means any person or entity that employs workers: (i) To perform labor for another person to provide commercial janitorial services; or (ii) on behalf of an employer to provide commercial janitorial services. "Property services contractor" does not mean the employment security department or individuals who perform labor under an agreement for exchanging their own labor or services with each other, provided the work is performed on land owned or leased by the individuals.</P>
<P>(f) <TextRun amendingStyle="add">"Repeat willful violator" means any employer that has been the subject of a final and binding citation for a willful violation of one or more requirements under this section and all applicable rules, within three years of the date of issuance of the most recent citation for a willful violation of one or more requirements.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(g)</TextRun> "Security guard" means an individual who is principally employed as, or typically referred to as, a security officer or guard, regardless of whether the individual is employed by a private security company or a single employer or whether the individual is required to be licensed under chapter 18.170 RCW.</P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="strikemarkleft">(4)(a) Hotels and motels with sixty or more rooms must meet the requirements of this section by January 1, 2020.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="strikemarkright">(b) All other employers identified in subsection (1) of this section must meet the requirements of this section by January 1, 2021.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(h) "Willful" means a knowing and intentional action that is neither accidental nor the result of a bona fide dispute.</TextRun></P>
<P><TextRun amendingStyle="add">(5) The department must adopt rules for purposes of implementing and enforcing this section including, but not limited to, rules concerning the collection of civil penalties and establishing the processes for appeals of citations issued under this section in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW.</TextRun></P>
<History>2019 c 392 s 1.</History>
</BillSection>
<BillSection type="new" action="effdate">
<BillSectionHeader><BillSectionNumber><TextRun>Sec. </TextRun><Value>2</Value><TextRun>.  </TextRun></BillSectionNumber><P>This act takes effect January 1, 2026.</P></BillSectionHeader>
</BillSection>
<BillSection type="new">
<BillSectionHeader><BillSectionNumber><TextRun>Sec. </TextRun><Value>3</Value><TextRun>.  </TextRun></BillSectionNumber><P>If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2025, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.</P></BillSectionHeader>
</BillSection>
</BillBody>
</Bill></CertifiedBill>