HB 1625 - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Provides that an employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer, or employment agency as defined by RCW 49.60.040, at the specific request of that individual employer or employment agency, is presumed to be acting in good faith and is immune from civil and criminal liability for such disclosure or its consequences if the disclosed information relates to: (1) The employee's ability to perform his or her job; (2) The diligence, skill, or reliability with which the employee carried out the duties of his or her job; or (3) Any illegal or wrongful act committed by the employee when related to the duties of his or her job.

Declares that, for the purposes of this act, 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, deliberately misleading, or made with reckless disregard for the truth.