1604-S AMH ABEL PATT 353

SHB 1604 - H AMD 1493

NOT ADOPTED 02/04/2026

On page 2, line 37, after "(4)" insert "(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person employed by a jail may request an accommodation exempting the employee from being required to perform a duty under this section if performance of the duty would conflict with the employee's sincerely held religious belief or practice.

(b) Any request for an accommodation pursuant to this section must be submitted in writing to the employing facility and identify:

(i) The specific duty for which the employee seeks an exemption; and

(ii) The sincerely held religious belief or practice that conflicts with the duty.

(c) The employing facility shall promptly review each request it receives for an accommodation pursuant to this section. Except as provided under (d) of this subsection, the employing facility must grant the accommodation if:

(i) The request is based on a conflict with a sincerely held religious belief or practice; and

(ii) Granting the accommodation would not compromise safety or impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employing facility.

(d) The employing facility may deny a request for an accommodation if it demonstrates that the accommodation would:

(i) Create a significant risk to institutional security or public safety;

(ii) Unreasonably encumber the rights of other employees or confined persons; or

(iii) Impose costs or operational burdens that fundamentally alter the employing facility’s ability to maintain safe and lawful operations.

(e) If the employing facility denies a request for an accommodation pursuant to this section, it must attempt to identify alternative duties for the employee to perform that, to the greatest extent possible, do not conflict with the employee’s religious belief or practice.

(f) The employing facility may not discipline, discharge, or otherwise retaliate against any employee for requesting an accommodation pursuant to this section.

(5)"

Renumber the remaining subsection consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

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