Committee advances a package of bills; several proposed substitutes adopted

The Senate Labor & Commerce Committee met in executive session and advanced a number of bills after adopting proposed substitutes and taking committee recommendations.

What the committee did: - Adopted Saldanha’s proposed substitute on Senate Bill 52‑65 (expanded allowance for some out‑of‑state electrical inspector experience under reciprocity rules) and sent the bill forward with a due‑pass recommendation to Rules. - Passed Senate Bill 5,090 (professional engineers) with a due‑pass recommendation to Rules. - Passed Senate Bill 5,381 (self‑insured withdrawal authority for L&I) with a due‑pass recommendation to Rules. - Adopted a proposed substitute (Ramos) for Senate Bill 5,433 (collective bargaining for DOC employees) and sent it with a due‑pass recommendation to Ways & Means. - Adopted and amended the proposed substitute to Senate Bill 5,400 (Washington local news journalism core program) and discussed fiscal implications; the bill was reported out for further budget consideration. - Adopted Saldanha’s proposed substitute for Senate Bill 5,336 (isolated employee enforcement, panic buttons), which included an updated effective date and authority for L&I to collect unpaid citations; committee record shows an updated partial fiscal note of $938,000 in costs to L&I for the 2025‑27 biennium (accident and medical aid accounts). - Adopted a proposed substitute to Senate Bill 5,408 (salary and wage disclosure/job‑posting corrections) with agreed language and sent the bill forward.

Procedural notes: Several actions were approved by voice vote (“all in favor say aye; opposed say nay”). The transcript records the committee chair and various senators moving and seconding motions, but does not include a roll‑call tally for each vote. One bill read earlier in the meeting, Senate Bill 53‑30 (drug testing devices and related amendments), was pulled from the executive agenda and will be taken up at a later date.

Fiscal and follow‑up items: The committee noted potential fiscal effects on proposals that would change surcharge and funding mechanisms (for example, the journalism funding substitute discussed a potential new surcharge on large internet platforms and the committee will refer funding questions to budget staff). Committee members also asked staff to prepare follow‑up materials where indicated (for example, additional actuarial detail requested from L&I during the work session).