HB 2408
In CommitteeHouse
Obsolete statutory language
Improving government efficiency through amending and repealing obsolete statutory language.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill cleans up Washington’s Revised Code by repealing outdated laws and amending outdated language in existing statutes—mostly removing temporary measures from the 2009–2013 budget crisis period. It does not change current policy but modernizes outdated procedures for shared leave, manager personnel rules, and supported employment programs.
- Repeals five outdated statutes, including rules on 'comparable worth' salary adjustments, background checks for staff working with children, and restrictions on performance-based awards and voluntary salary reductions by elected officials.
- Amends RCW 41.04.665 to modernize the shared leave program—removing expired pandemic-related provisions (e.g., COVID-19 quarantine leave), clarifying how employees can donate or receive leave for qualifying reasons (e.g., serious illness, military service, domestic violence), and updating rules on leave transfers and repayment.
- Amends RCW 41.04.760 to streamline reporting for supported employment programs by replacing references to the 'department of personnel' with the 'office of financial management' and adding the 'office of equity' as a recipient of annual updates.
- Amends RCW 41.06.500 to remove expired salary freeze provisions (2009–2013) and retain only current rules governing manager compensation, performance appraisals, and recruitment flexibility.
- Amends RCW 43.03.030 and 43.03.040 to remove outdated salary freeze and reporting requirements (2009–2013), while preserving current authority for the governor and Office of Financial Management to set salaries within statutory limits.
Who is affected
- State employees — State employees who may receive shared leave from colleagues or use shared leave for qualifying reasons such as serious illness, military service, domestic violence, or pandemic-related quarantine.
- State agencies and agency leadership — State agencies that must follow updated rules for managing managers, including hiring, compensation, and performance evaluation practices.
- Managers in the Washington Management Service — Managers in state government who are subject to new personnel rules, including flexible compensation and performance-based advancement.
- State departments involved in employment services — State departments and offices (e.g., Department of Social and Health Services, Office of Financial Management, Office of Equity) that coordinate or report on supported employment programs for people with disabilities.
- State officers and appointed officials — Elected and appointed state officials whose salaries may be adjusted under updated statutory authority.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Explicitly including domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking as qualifying reasons for shared leave strengthens protections for vulnerable state employees—particularly women and survivors—who may otherwise face job insecurity or financial hardship when seeking safety and support.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(a)(vi)Including parental leave as a qualifying reason for shared leave supports working parents—especially low- and middle-income state employees—who may lack access to paid family leave elsewhere and face financial strain when caring for newborns or newly adopted children.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(a)(vii)Retaining pregnancy disability as a qualifying condition for shared leave helps low-wage state employees—particularly those without supplemental private insurance—avoid income loss during medically necessary leave, reducing economic insecurity during a high-risk life stage.
HealthcareLean peopleRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(a)(viii)Allowing employees to retain up to 40 hours of leave in reserve before qualifying for shared leave prevents abrupt depletion of paid time, supporting financial stability for hourly and part-time state employees who rely on predictable leave balances to manage unexpected health or family needs.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(d)(iv)Updating the reporting structure for supported employment programs by replacing the defunct 'department of personnel' with the 'office of financial management' and adding the 'office of equity' improves data accuracy and accountability—helping ensure that people with disabilities receive equitable access to employment services and that state agencies meet their statutory obligations.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 3
Potential Concerns (3)
Removal of the governor’s office’s requirement to notify legislative leadership and others about the expiration of pandemic-related emergency proclamations may reduce transparency and accountability for emergency leave policies, weakening oversight by local governments and legislative bodies that rely on timely public notice to coordinate response efforts.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(f)(ii)Eliminating the statutory notice requirement for the expiration of pandemic-related emergency declarations removes a procedural safeguard that helped ensure continuity of emergency response coordination across state and local agencies—potentially increasing the risk of delayed or misaligned public health responses during future crises.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(f)(ii)By removing the requirement to publicly notify legislative committees and agencies about the end of pandemic-era emergency leave provisions, the bill eliminates a layer of accountability that helped prevent abrupt policy shifts that could disrupt employer leave planning and workforce scheduling during public health emergencies.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 2, subsection (1)(f)(ii)
Who Is Most Affected
State employees—especially women, survivors of domestic violence, parents, and low-wage workers—gain clearer access to shared leave for qualifying reasons like domestic violence, parental leave, and pregnancy disability, improving job security and economic stability during critical life events.
State agencies gain administrative clarity and flexibility in managing shared leave without pandemic-specific restrictions, but lose the ability to claim pandemic-related leave usage as justification for extraordinary leave transfers—potentially increasing administrative burden during future crises.
Managers in the Washington Management Service benefit from removal of outdated salary freeze and performance award restrictions, preserving existing flexibility in compensation and performance management—though no new authority is granted, only continuity of current practice.
State departments involved in employment services (e.g., DSHS, OFM, Office of Equity) benefit from updated reporting requirements that align with current organizational structures, improving data collection and program oversight for people with disabilities in supported employment.
State officers and appointed officials retain current salary-setting authority but lose outdated pandemic-era reporting requirements—resulting in minimal net impact, as the removed provisions were expired and unused.