HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESHB 1332
As Amended by the Senate
Title: An act relating to transportation network companies.
Brief Description: Concerning transportation network companies.
Sponsors: House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards (originally sponsored by Representatives Obras, Gregerson, Berry, Alvarado, Ormsby, Davis, Ramel, Salahuddin, Ryu, Parshley, Macri, Taylor, Reed, Hill, Doglio, Scott and Nance).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Labor & Workplace Standards: 1/29/25, 2/7/25 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/11/25, 59-36.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 4/14/25, 27-21.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill
  • Requires a transportation network company (TNC) to make available to a driver a single aggregated, searchable, and downloadable record of all the driver's per trip receipts.
  • Requires a TNC to reinstate a vehicle to a product class for one year if the vehicle lost eligibility for the class during a certain period.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & WORKPLACE STANDARDS
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by 6 members:Representatives Berry, Chair; Fosse, Vice Chair; Scott, Vice Chair; Bronoske, Obras and Ortiz-Self.
Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by 2 members:Representatives Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; McEntire.
Minority Report: Without recommendation.Signed by 1 member:Representative Ybarra, Assistant Ranking Minority Member.
Staff: Kelly Leonard (786-7147).
Background:

A transportation network company (TNC) includes any a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity that uses a digital network platform to connect passengers with its drivers for providing prearranged rides.  Drivers use personal vehicles when operating for TNCs and must carry certain insurance. 

 

In 2022 the state enacted certain rights and protections for TNC drivers, including minimum rates per dispatched trip, passenger platform minute, and mile, paid sick time, workers' compensation, and antiretaliation protection for drivers.  The state also enacted certain operational standards, including zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policies, driving record standards, insurance requirements, and vehicle age requirements.  Any motor vehicle used by a TNC driver must not be more than 15 years old, as determined by the model year of the vehicle. 

 

Transportation network companies must provide certain per trip receipts and weekly notices to drivers in a downloadable format, such as a comma-separated values (CSV) file or PDF file, via smartphone application or online web portal.  Per trip receipts must become available within 24 hours and remain available for two years. 

 

Per trip receipts and notices must include specific data, including:

  • the total amount of passenger platform time;
  • the total mileage driven during passenger platform time;
  • rate or rates of pay, including but not limited to the rate per minute, rate per mile, percentage of passenger fare, and any applicable price multiplier or variable pricing policy in effect for the trip;
  • tip compensation;
  • gross payment;
  • net payment after deductions, fees, tolls, surcharges, lease fees, or other charges; and
  • itemized deductions or fees, including any toll, surcharge, commission, lease fees, and other charges
Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill:

Per Trip Receipts and Data.  The requirement to provide data on applicable price multipliers or variable pricing policies is removed; instead, per trip receipts must contain information on any applicable financial incentives or bonuses paid to the driver.

 

Transportation network companies must make available to a driver, in an accessible system, a record of all the driver's per trip receipts in a single aggregated, searchable, downloadable, CSV file or searchable PDF file, containing a table with rows for each unique trip and columns for each itemized element contained in each trip receipt.  Beginning on January 1, 2026, until June 30, 2026, the file must contain the driver's per trip receipts from the previous 18 months.  Beginning July 1, 2026, the file must contain the driver's per trip receipts from the previous 24 months.

 

Product Classes.  A TNC must inform its drivers which vehicles, described by make, model, and year, are eligible for each product class offered on its platform at the time the driver onboards the vehicle to the platform.  A "product class" means special ride options, offered to passengers for additional fees, that are based on the type of vehicle, such as make and model, or based on the type of vehicle combined with specified features or ride preferences. 

 

For any vehicle that lost eligibility for a particular product class in the 12 months prior to September 1, 2025, the transportation network company must reinstate the vehicle to the product class for at least 12 months following that date.
EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):

For product class eligibility, the Senate amendment:

  • requires a transportation network company (TNC) to make certain product class information available to drivers (rather than requiring a TNC to inform drivers of this information at the time the driver onboards the vehicle to the platform);
  • requires a TNC to reinstate vehicles that lost eligibility on the basis of vehicle year or model type only (rather than requiring reinstatement of all vehicles that lost eligibility regardless of the reason as provided in the underlying bill), and specifies further that the reinstatement requirements do not apply for other reasons, including but not limited to the driver's loss of access to the TNC's platform, vehicle safety-related or vehicle condition issues, or the driver's or vehicle's noncompliance with law or regulatory standards; and
  • provides that, if a TNC plans to modify vehicle age or model type requirements for an existing product class, it must provide all current drivers with written notice at least 120 calendar days before implementing the change.

 

For trip receipt records, the Senate amendment:

  • requires per trip receipts to include data on applicable trip-based financial incentives, promotions, or bonuses paid to the driver that resulted directly from the specific trip rather than aggregated trip activity (rather than requiring data on applicable financial incentives or bonuses paid to the driver as required by the underlying bill, and rather than requiring data on the applicable price multipliers or variable pricing policies as provided in current law);
  • requires weekly trip receipt data to include data on applicable financial incentives, promotions, or bonuses paid to the driver related to any of the driver's activity on the platform  (rather than requiring data on applicable financial incentives or bonuses paid to the driver as required by the underlying bill, and rather than requiring data on the applicable price multipliers or variable pricing policies as provided in current law);
  • modifies the requirement for a TNC to make available to a driver in an accessible system an aggregated, searchable, and downloadable file containing all per trip receipts from the previous 18 months or 24 months with staggered effective dates; instead, requires the TNC to provide the file with 24 months of trip receipts to the driver within 3 business days of a driver's request; and
  • allows the TNC to provide additional information in the aggregated file.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains multiple effective dates. Please see the bill.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Uber, a popular TNC, offers rides in premium vehicles for higher rates by establishing product classes.  The company requires drivers to have certain vehicles to participate in higher product classes.  Drivers have purchased expensive vehicles, typically with loan agreements lasting five or seven or more years, to participate in these product classes.  Last year, Uber abruptly eliminated certain vehicles from certain product classes, leaving drivers with expensive loans they are unable to pay off.  Many drivers are now unable to make ends meet.  This is fundamentally unfair to drivers, who purchased these vehicles with the expectation of being able to conduct a certain level of business.  There is nothing wrong with these luxury vehicles.  This bill is about transparency, and it will prohibit TNCs from enticing drivers to purchase expensive vehicles and then downgrading them on the platform.  The bill is also important for ensuring that drivers get access to records without having to spend hours compiling them.  The state provides important protections to drivers, but enforcing these protections requires data across several trip receipts.  Transportation network companies should provide the data in a compiled format to assist with auditing and enforcement. 

 

(Opposed) Transportation network companies should be able to set standards in order to satisfy customer expectations.  Customers should be able to choose the class of vehicles they want to ride in.  The bill undermines both company standards and customer expectations.  Transportation network companies are open and transparent with drivers about vehicle standards and have provided plenty of notice about any changes to product classes.  In particular Uber has a five-year age requirement for vehicles to participate in Uber Black.  This is not a new requirement.  The state should not force TNCs to weaken their vehicle standards and reduce the quality of their services.  This is about meeting consumer demands. 

 

(Other) Uber drivers helped to build the company's success through their own financial contributions and services, and now these drivers have been betrayed.  The state should closely examine limousine laws, which are designed to protect the drivers and the customers.
Persons Testifying:

(In support) Representative Edwin Obras, prime sponsor; Peter Kuel, Drivers Union; Adan Abdullahi; Shiferahu Taye; and Geoffrey Pounds.

(Opposed) Rose Feliciano, TechNet; and Zahid Arab, Uber Technologies, Inc.
(Other) Alexander Samuel, Uber Black and SUV driver issues.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.