SGA 9258
In CommitteeSenate
ISABEL A. COLE
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 reappoints Isabel A. Cole to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals for a six-year term ending in 2031. The Board hears appeals from workers, employers, and the state on decisions about workers' compensation claims and workplace injury cases.
- Reappoints Isabel A. Cole as a member of the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA).
- Sets her new term to end on June 17, 2031.
- Maintains her current role overseeing appeals of decisions made by the Department of Labor & Industries regarding workers' compensation and occupational disease claims.
Who is affected
- Workers' compensation claimants and employers — This appointment affects how workers' compensation and workplace injury claims are reviewed and decided in Washington State.
Who Is Most Affected
Workers' compensation claimants may experience continuity in adjudication standards and procedural consistency, as Cole has served on the Board since 2019 and is experienced in interpreting Washington’s workers’ compensation laws. However, since this is a reappointment—not a policy change—there is no new legal standard introduced; outcomes depend on the substance of individual claims and existing precedent, not the appointment itself.
Employers who dispute workers’ compensation claims may benefit from predictable, experienced adjudication, but also face continued scrutiny of claim denials under established legal frameworks. No new liability protections or procedural advantages are created by this reappointment alone.
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) continues to operate under the same appellate review body it has worked with for years, ensuring procedural stability in appeals. No change in L&I’s authority or operational burden is introduced.
Legal professionals (attorneys, paralegals, claims adjusters) who regularly appear before the BIIA may benefit from continuity in procedural expectations and decision-making patterns, but this reappointment does not alter legal standards or create new practice opportunities.
As a state agency leadership position, the BIIA membership affects administrative due process, but this reappointment does not expand or contract the Board’s jurisdiction, budget, or statutory authority—so the broader public’s access to fair appeals remains unchanged in structure.