These new laws take effect in Washington state in 2024
SEATTLE — Higher wages, lax employer marijuana testing, 10-day waiting periods for gun purchasers and more. These are some of the new laws taking effect in Washington state come Jan. 1.
Here's what you need to know heading into the new year:
Minimum wage
Washington state minimum wage will increase from $15.74 per hour to $16.28 per hour in 2024, giving the Evergreen state the highest minimum wage in the country, ahead of California at $16 an hour and more than double the federal average.
Employees working minimum-wage jobs in 22 different states and at least 40 cities and counties nationwide will see a pay increase.
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Washington employers can pay some workers less than minimum wage if they are 14 to 15 years old (no less than 85% of minimum wage), have jobs exempt from the Minimum Wage Act or work jobs that meet other defined criteria, according to Washington’s Labor and Industries (L&I).
Effective Jan. 1, minimum wage in Seattle will increase to $19.97 an hour, while SeaTac minimum wage will be bumped to $19.71 an hour. Tukwila hourly minimum wage will rise to a state-high $20.29 in January, up from $18.99 in 2023.
Beginning in mid-September of every year, L&I said it makes a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage based on the federal consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers. Changes to minimum wage will be announced on Sept. 30 and take effect on New Year’s Day.
Hawaii will see the largest increase in minimum wage as the Aloha State moves from $12 an hour to $14 an hour. Twenty states are still using the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
Paid sick leave
Washington is updating its mandatory paid sick leave program to cover construction workers who have previously missed out on the benefit.
“Construction workers, by the nature of the trade and the career, work for multiple employers even within a month,” said Erin Frasier, assistant executive secretary of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, according to Northwest Labor Press. “They are dispatched from union halls to go out to different employers, so they rarely hit that 90 days with a single employer.”
The law — Senate Bill 5111 — mandates one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked. If paid sick leave is not taken and an employee is fired or quits, they are still owed that money.
Employer marijuana testing
Twelve years after legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, Washington employers must now adhere to limitations on drug testing, essentially equating weed use to alcohol use. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed SB 5132 on May 9, providing protections for adult cannabis users.
Forbes reported the following on the bill in May:
Lawmakers in Washington worked to reconcile a “disconnect between prospective employees’ legal activities and employers’ hiring practices,” considering cannabis use analogous to alcohol consumption. SB 5132 identifies that drug tests may report the presence of “nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites from past cannabis use, including up to 30 days in the past, that have no correlation to an applicant’s future job performance.” The bill notes, “Applicants are much less likely to test positive or be disqualified for the presence of alcohol on a pre-employment screening test compared with cannabis, despite both being legally allowed controlled substances.”
The bill doesn't explicitly prohibit pre-employment marijuana testing, but employers may not require a drug test indicating “nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites” in hair, blood, urine or bodily fluid. Employers may, however, require drug tests that assess a range of controlled substances, including cannabis, if the results provided to the employer do not report findings associated with past cannabis use, Forbes reports.
Gun waiting period
House Bill 1143 will require a 10-day waiting period before purchasing a firearm in Washington beginning on Jan. 1. Prior to the new year, the 10-day waiting period only applied to semi-automatic weapons.
Dealers of firearms will need to initiate a background check and wait 10 additional days.
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Gun owners must show they have passed a safety training program within the last five years, or show valid proof they are exempt from training requirements.
Street racing
In attempts to curb street racing, Senate Bill 5606 broadens the definition of racing, saying it's "unlawful for any person or persons to race any motor vehicle or motor vehicles upon any public highway of this state." Individuals can be charged with other crimes on top of being charged with illegal street racing, and the law establishes procedures for law enforcement to seize vehicles involved in racing.
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Anyone who knowingly aids and abets racing can also be charged and prosecuted as an accomplice, the new law states.
Other laws going into effect
Some of the other new laws for 2024 include Senate Bill 5236, which requires hospitals to establish staffing committees; House Bill 1058, which allows people renewing their commercial drivers license to renew online, and reduces fees charged by the Department of Licensing; House Bill 1048, which strengthens the Voting Rights Act; and Senate Bill 5319, which is aimed at regulating the pet insurance market through various actions.
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Forget what laws went into effect in 2023? Click here.