CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6302
Chapter 105, Laws of 2026
69TH LEGISLATURE
2026 REGULAR SESSION
PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS—FINISHING TRADES—INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR MISCLASSIFICATION
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026
Passed by the Senate February 13, 2026 Yeas 37 Nays 11 DENNY HECK
President of the Senate Passed by the House March 5, 2026 Yeas 92 Nays 4 LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of Representatives | CERTIFICATE I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6302 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary Secretary |
Approved March 18, 2026 10:35 AM | FILED March 19, 2026 |
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6302
Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington | 69th Legislature | 2026 Regular Session |
BySenate Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators Conway, Saldaña, Hasegawa, Orwall, and Valdez)
READ FIRST TIME 02/04/26.
AN ACT Relating to misclassification in the finishing trades on public works projects; and adding a new section to chapter
39.12 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter
39.12 RCW to read as follows:
(1) If a contractor or subcontractor engages three or more independent contractors, as described in RCW
39.12.100, to perform the same type of covered finishing work at the same time on a public works project, the department of labor and industries, upon a referral for investigation, must investigate to determine whether the individuals performing the work have been misclassified as independent contractors.
(2) A referral for investigation under this section may be made by:
(a) The state, county, municipality, or political subdivision awarding the public works contract;
(b) Any contractor or subcontractor on the public works project;
(c) Any labor organization that represents individuals performing covered finishing work on the public works project; or
(d) Any individual performing covered finishing work on the project.
(3) If the department of labor and industries finds, following an investigation under this section, that any individual performing covered finishing work has been misclassified as an independent contractor, the contractor or subcontractor that engaged the individual is subject to all applicable requirements, liabilities, and penalties under this chapter. Following this finding, the department of labor and industries shall make the appropriate referrals under Titles
50 and
51 RCW.
(4) For purposes of this section, "covered finishing work" means work in drywall, flooring, tiling, painting, and glazier and glasswork.
Passed by the Senate February 13, 2026.
Passed by the House March 5, 2026.
Approved by the Governor March 18, 2026.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 19, 2026.
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