January 29, 2026970March 4, 2026480

I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2309 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

Chief Clerk

Secretary of State

State of Washington

HB 2309.PLHOUSE BILL 2309Passed Legislature2026 Regular Session69th Legislature2026 Regular SessionRepresentatives Leavitt, Rude, Reed, Zahn, Kloba, Doglio, Ormsby, and Jacobsen; by request of Office of Financial ManagementPrefiled 01/07/26.Read first time 01/12/26.Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.Reducing barriers to state employment by eliminating postgraduate degree requirements that are unnecessary. AN ACT Relating to reducing barriers to state employment by eliminating postgraduate degree requirements that are unnecessary; and reenacting and amending RCW 41.06.157. Sec. 1. RCW 41.06.157 and 2024 c 330 s 11 and 2024 c 70 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:Comprehensive classification plan for classified positions—Contents—Salary surveys.

(1) To promote the most effective use of the state's workforce and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of services to the citizens of the state, the director shall adopt and maintain a comprehensive classification plan for all positions in the classified service. The classification plan must:

(a) Be simple and streamlined;

(b) Support state agencies in responding to changing technologies, economic and social conditions, and the needs of its citizens;

(d) Facilitate the reorganization and decentralization of governmental services;

(e) Enhance mobility and career advancement opportunities;

(f) Consider rates in other public employment and private employment in the state;

(g) Not require a two-year or, four-year, or postgraduate college degree as the only way to demonstrate qualifications for the role unless that degree is required by law for an employee to perform the essential functions of a classification; and

(h) Recognize that persons legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law, including deferred action for childhood arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

(2) An appointing authority and an employee organization representing classified employees of the appointing authority for collective bargaining purposes may jointly request the director of financial management to initiate a classification study.

(3) For institutions of higher education and related boards, the director may adopt special salary ranges to be competitive with positions of a similar nature in the state or the locality in which the institution of higher education or related board is located.

(4) The director may undertake salary surveys of positions in other public and private employment to establish market rates. Any salary survey information collected from private employers which identifies a specific employer with salary rates which the employer pays to its employees shall not be subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW.

2024 c 330 s 11; 2024 c 70 s 2; 2015 3rd sp.s. c 1 s 315; 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 411. Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2024 c 70 s 2 and by 2024 c 330 s 11, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1). Intent—2024 c 70: "It is the intent of the legislature to reduce the number of positions in state employment that unnecessarily have requirements of completing a two-year or four-year college degree as the only way to meet the qualifications of a job. While the legislature recognizes that certain positions have a need for technical, scientific, or professional training that make a specialized course of study necessary, in other cases the requirement of a two-year or four-year college degree is added to job requirements as an indicator of general skills or knowledge, such as skills in writing, analysis, or presentations which are readily acquired in today's society through other means." [2024 c 70 s 1.] Effective date—Purpose—2011 1st sp.s. c 43: See notes following RCW 43.19.003.