Reports to the Legislature relating to various L&I activities. Includes summaries of L&I-requested bills, legislative session wrap-ups, and resources for legislative workgroup meetings, including the domestic workers workgroup.
Legislative Session
- 2025 Agency Request Bills
- 2024 Agency Request Bills
- 2024 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
- Summary of Biennial Budget Requests (2025 – 27 biennial)
Legislative and Statutory Reports
2025 reports
Ergonomic Rulemaking for Scheduled Airlines — Ground Crew Operations: ESSB 5217 repealed the prohibition on rulemaking to prevent WMSDs. L&I selected Scheduled Airlines — Ground Crew Operations under Risk Classification 6802 for the first rulemaking effort. This report included the criteria L&I used to select the industry/risk classification and information on how L&I will develop the rules.
2024 reports
Aerospace Apprentice Utilization Report: Reports apprenticeship utilization rates and qualifying occupations for registered apprenticeship programs in Washington serving the aerospace industry.
Child Physical Abuse Exams: L&I's Crime Victims Compensation (CVC) program pays for forensic exams for child victims of physical abuse. This report provides information as to the number of claims requesting payment for child abuse exams, number of claims approved or denied, and more.
Cleaners' Occupational Injury Reduction Emphasis (CORE): Formerly called the Janitorial Workload Study Progress Report, this report provides updated information to the Legislature and the public about this 4-year study to address high injury rates among janitors.
Community and Technical College (CTC) Partnerships with Apprenticeship Programs: This report describes data collected to assist the Washington State Legislature in better understanding registered apprenticeship funding and how funding is directed to community and technical colleges.
Electric Security Alarm Systems: In 2024, ESSB 5950 directed L&I to work with the Association of Washington Cities and associated stakeholders with an interest in installing and maintaining "electric security alarm systems." The purpose was to identify appropriate pathways to streamline the permitting process and any other recommendations to facilitate the installation of these systems.
Electrical Inspector Qualifications: ESB 6089 eliminated certain minimum requirements for electrical inspectors. This report summarizes L&I's and Association of Washington Cities' research, findings, and recommendations to identify appropriate pathways to qualify as an electrical inspector.
Farm Internship Program: The Farm Internship Pilot Project addresses the need to train the next generation of farmers, and enables interns to learn about farming practices and obtain hands-on experience. The law that created the program requires L&I to monitor and evaluate the farm internships participating in the project and report on participation levels, wages paid, and more.
Homeowner Recovery Program: A FY 2024 report on the Homeowner Recovery Program — per 2SHB 1534, passed by the Legislature in 2023. The legislation helps strengthen protections for consumers in the construction industry, and directs L&I to create and administer the program for eligible homeowners to receive recovery payments from unsatisfied final judgments brought against construction contractors.
Injured Workers With Chronic Opioids: L&I contracted with the University of Washington to evaluate injured workers using chronic opioid therapy and to measure the impact of efforts to improve outcomes among this population.
Registered Apprenticeship Application Report: The Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) annual report to the state Legislature about the status of applications for registered apprenticeships.
Subminimum Wage Certificates: As this practice is phasing out, L&I and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) report jointly regarding subminimum wage certificates for workers with a disability.
Underground Economy Benchmark Report: L&I and the departments of Revenue (DOR) and Employment Security (ESD) collaborate to uncover and take action against participation in the underground economy to protect law-abiding consumers, workers, and employers.
Workers' Compensation — Monthly Wages — Incarcerated Workers: SSB 5701, effective June 9, 2022, changed how time-loss is calculated for inmates who are injured while working and become eligible after release. This legislative report highlights the impacts of this change.
Workplace Rights Investigations Report: L&I is providing updated information about investigations and proceedings related to worker wages, leave, youth employment, and other workplace rights. It includes actions taken in response to multiple new laws passed in the last several years that expanded responsibilities, procedures, and enforcement mandates.
Work-Related Immediate Inpatient Hospitalizations: This is a report on L&I's progress to research and track work-related injuries requiring immediate inpatient hospitalization, characterizing risks and hazards, and identifying prevention priorities.
2023 reports
Aerospace Workforce Council: A Report and Recommendations Regarding Apprenticeship Utilization in the Aerospace Industry: Reports apprenticeship utilization rates and qualifying occupations for registered apprenticeship programs in Washington serving the aerospace industry.
Child Physical Abuse Exams: L&I's Crime Victims Compensation (CVC) program pays for forensic exams for child victims of physical abuse. This report provides information as to the number of claims requesting payment for child abuse exams, number of claims approved or denied, and more.
Injured Workers With Chronic Opioids Between 2019 and 2022: L&I contracted with the University of Washington to evaluate injured workers using chronic opioid therapy and to measure the impact of efforts to improve outcomes in this population.
Janitorial Workload Study Progress Report: Updated information to the Legislature and the public about this 4-year study to address high injury rates among janitors.
Radiological Hazardous Waste Facility (RHWF) Presumption Claims: Certain workers employed at radiological hazardous waste facilities are at increased risk for multiple diseases and cancers due to nuclear waste exposure and are therefore eligible for benefits under the state's workers' compensation law. This L&I report provides the number of industrial insurance claims, which include the presumption for State Fund and self-insured employers.
Registered Apprenticeship Application Report: The Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) annual report to the state Legislature about the status of applications for registered apprenticeships.
Registered Apprenticeship: Options for Incentivizing Apprentice Utilization and Policy Option Recommendations: This report addresses apprenticeship issues and challenges in rural communities.
Subminimum Wage Certificates: As this practice is phasing out, L&I and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) report jointly regarding subminimum wage certificates for workers with a disability.
Underground Economy Benchmark Report: L&I and the departments of Revenue (DOR) and Employment Security (ESD) collaborate to uncover and take action against participation in the underground economy to protect law-abiding consumers, workers, and employers.
Workplace Rights Investigations Report: L&I is providing updated information about investigations and proceedings related to worker wages, leave, youth employment, and other workplace rights. It includes actions taken in response to multiple new laws passed in the last several years that expanded responsibilities, procedures, and enforcement mandates.
Work-Related Immediate Inpatient Hospitalizations: This is a report on L&I's progress to research and track work-related injuries requiring immediate inpatient hospitalization, characterizing risks and hazards, and identifying prevention priorities.
Contact the Government Affairs & Policy Division
Legislative Director Tammy Fellin
Email: Rules@Lni.wa.gov
Legislative Workgroups
Worker Wage Recovery Workgroup
In 2024, the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2097, which directed the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to create the Worker Wage Recovery Workgroup. This workgroup was created to develop and recommend strategies that help employees who are owed wages recover those wages and be made whole as quickly and as fully as possible when the employees' employers violate wage payment requirements.
Meetings
Sept. 25, 2024
Oct. 21, 2024
Nov. 6, 2024
Nov. 20, 2024
Dec. 4, 2024
Workgroup members
| Member Name | Organization | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Lindsey Hueer | Association of Washington Business |
Employer and business advocacy organization position |
| Patrick Connor | National Federation of Independent Business |
Employer and business advocacy organization position representing small business |
| Sybill Hyppolite | Washington State Labor Council |
Employee advocacy organization position |
| Catherine Ruckelshaus | National Employment Law Project |
Employee advocacy organization position |
| Andrea Schmitt | Columbia Legal Services | Civil legal aid position |
| Elizabeth Ford | Seattle University School of Law |
Employment law expert from a Washington State postsecondary education institution |
Contact us about the Worker Wage Recovery Workgroup
Email: Christina.Simunds@Lni.wa.gov
Underground Economy in Construction Task Force
The underground economy is the loose network of businesses and individuals that fail to register or report a significant part of their business activities with authorities, as required by law. They not only neglect to pay their fair share of taxes, workers’ compensation premiums, and unemployment insurance contributions, they gain an unfair advantage over competitors. Consumers are also at risk because there may be no bond or insurance to protect them from these bad actors. Together, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Department of Revenue (DOR), and Employment Security Department (ESD) share data and collaborate in other areas to uncover and take action on tax misreporting and other forms of fraud that contribute to the underground economy.
In 2024, the Legislature passed the Supplemental Budget in ESSB 5950, which created the Underground Economy in Construction Task Force in Section 906. This task force was created to look into the underground economy within the construction industry and report its findings to the Legislature.
Meetings
Nov. 18, 2024
Dec. 2, 2024
Contact us about the Underground Economy Task Force
Email: Andre.Unicume@Lni.wa.gov