Event Details

Equal Pay & Opportunities Act (EPOA) (SHB 1905 Implementation)

Stakeholder Meeting on Rulemaking
Thursday, September 19, 2024
1 p.m.

Location

Department of Labor & Industries
12806 Gateway Drive South
Tukwila, WA 98168

L&I Office Locations

Details

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) Employment Standards Program has released a preliminary draft of the rules it is developing for the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. L&I is developing the rules to prepare for upcoming changes to the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act created by the passage of Substitute House Bill 1905 earlier this year. These rules will help employers comply with the law and help workers understand their new protections. The bill expands existing worker protections against pay and promotion discrimination based on gender under the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act to include race, creed, military status, and other protected classes.

L&I initiated rulemaking on Aug. 6 by filing a Preproposal Statement of Inquiry (CR-101). You can find the preliminary rule language on the Equal and Opportunities Act engagement page.

L&I is accepting written comments on the preliminary draft until Sep. 27. You can submit comments by email or during an upcoming stakeholder meeting. L&I is holding three stakeholder meetings to share information, respond to questions, and receive comments. The meetings on Sept 17 and 19 will be in-person, and the Sept 18 meeting will be held virtually.

Interpretation services can be provided at no cost to you when you request them ahead of time. Se le pueden proporcionar servicios de interpretación sin costo alguno si los solicita con anticipación.

There will be additional opportunities for stakeholder participation and feedback throughout this rulemaking process, including a formal comment period and public hearings in early 2025. Updates regarding the rulemaking process will be posted on the L&I Rulemaking Activity page.

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