HB1173 • 2026

High-hazard facility wages

Concerning wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Bronoske, Representative Berry, Representative Reed, Representative Ramel, Representative Obras, Representative Fosse, Representative Simmons, Representative Ortiz-Self, Representative Goodman, Representative Gregerson, Representative Pollet, Representative Nance, Representative Ormsby, Representative Lekanoff, Representative Hill
Last action: 2025-05-09
Official status: C 210 L 25
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

High-hazard facility wages

What This Bill Does

High-hazard facility wages

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

1173.E AMS LC S2577.1

0 • Labor & Commerce

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1173.E AMS LC S2577.1 EHB 1173 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Labor & Commerce ADOPTED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

1173.E AMS LC S2577.1 EHB 1173 - S COMM AMD By Committee on Labor & Commerce ADOPTED 04/10/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
1.
RCW 49.80.010 and 2019 c 306 s 1 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 5 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
6 (1) "Applicable occupation" means the specific trade or 7 occupation for the work performed under this chapter as defined by 8 the scope of work description under chapter 39.12 RCW and associated 9 rules, or defined by the standard occupational classification 10 description.11 (2) "Apprenticeable occupation" means an occupation for which an 12 apprenticeship program has been approved by the Washington state 13 apprenticeship and training council pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW.14 (((2))) (3) "Department" means the department of labor and 15 industries.

1173 AMH BRON LEON 103

231 • Bronoske

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1173 AMH BRON LEON 103 1 - Official Print 1173 AMH BRON LEON 103 HB 1173 - H AMD 231 By Representative Bronoske ADOPTED 03/07/2025 On page 1, after "(1)" insert "Applicable occupation" means the specific trade or occupation for the work performed under this chapter.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1173 AMH BRON LEON 103 1 - Official Print 1173 AMH BRON LEON 103 HB 1173 - H AMD 231 By Representative Bronoske ADOPTED 03/07/2025 On page 1, after "(1)" insert "Applicable occupation" means the specific trade or occupation for the work performed under this chapter.
Where there is an applicable scope of work description under chapter 39.12 RCW and associated rules for a specific trade or occupation, or defined by the standard occupational classification, for work performed under this chapter, the scope of work description is the applicable occupation.
(2)" On page 1, at the beginning of line 11, strike "(2)" and insert "(((2))) (3)" On page 1, at the beginning of line 12, strike "(3)" and insert "(((3))) (4)" On page 2, at the beginning of line 3, strike "(4)" and insert "(((4))) (5)" On page 2, at the beginning of line 6, strike "(5)" and insert "(((5))) (6)" On page 2, line 6, after "an apprentice" insert "who meets all the following criteria: (a) Is" On page 2, line 8, after "49.04 RCW" insert "; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 1173 AMH BRON LEON 103 2 - Official Print (b) Has received written notification from the employer identifying his or her applicable occupation and wage rates prior to performing work, a copy of which must be maintained in the employee's personnel file by the employer; and (c) Is only performing work within the applicable occupation of the apprenticeship program in which he or she is registered" On page 2, at the beginning of line 9, strike "(6)" and insert "(((6))) (7)" On page 2, at the beginning of line 16, strike "(7)" and insert "(((7))) (8)" On page 2, beginning on line 26, after "The" strike all material through "area." on line 39 and insert "((worker is being paid)) worker's wage payment requirement is at least a rate commensurate with the wages typically paid for the occupation in the applicable geographic area, subject to the following provisions: (i) The prevailing wage rate paid for a worker in the applicable occupation and geographic area on public works projects may be used to determine the appropriate rate of pay, however, this subsection (((7) (b))) (8)(b) does not require a contractor to pay prevailing wage rates; and (ii) In no case may the worker be paid at a rate less than an hourly rate consistent with the seventy-fifth percentile in the applicable occupation and geographic area in the most recent occupational employment statistics published by the employment security department.
Sec.

Bill History

2025-05-09 House
Effective date 1/1/2026.

Official Summary Text

High-hazard facility wages

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

AN ACT Relating to wages for journeypersons in high-hazard 1
facilities; amending RCW 49.80.010; and providing an effective date.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 49.80.010 and 2019 c 306 s 1 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 6
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 7
(1) "Apprenticeable occupation" means an occupation for which an 8
apprenticeship program has been approved by the Washington state 9
apprenticeship and training council pursuant to chapter 49.04 RCW.10
(2) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.11
(3) "On-site work" does not include ship and rail car support 12
activities; environmental inspection and testing; security guard 13
services; work which is performed by an original equipment 14
manufacturer for warranty, repair, or maintenance on the vendor's 15
equipment if required by the original equipment manufacturer's 16
warranty agreement between the original equipment manufacturer and 17
the owner; industrial cleaning not related to construction; safety 18
services requiring professional safety certification; nonconstruction 19
catalyst loading, regeneration, and removal; chemical purging and 20
cleaning; refinery by-product separation and recovery; inspection 21
H-0303.1
HOUSE BILL 1173
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Bronoske, Berry, Reed, Ramel, Obras, Fosse,
Simmons, Ortiz-Self, Goodman, Gregerson, Pollet, Nance, Ormsby,
Lekanoff, and Hill
Prefiled 01/06/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Labor & Workplace Standards.
p. 1 HB 1173
services not related to construction; and work performed that is not 1
in an apprenticeable occupation. 2
(4) "Prevailing ((hourly wage )) rate of wage " has the same 3
meaning as provided ((for "prevailing rate of wage" )) in RCW 4
39.12.010. 5
(5) "Registered apprentice" means an apprentice registered in an 6
apprenticeship program approved by the Washington state 7
apprenticeship and training council according to chapter 49.04 RCW.8
(6) "Skilled and trained workforce" means a workforce that meets 9
both of the following criteria: 10
(a) All the workers are either registered apprentices or skilled 11
journeypersons; and 12
(b) The workforce meets the apprenticeship graduation and 13
approved advanced safety training requirements established in RCW 14
49.80.030. 15
(7) "Skilled journeyperson" means a worker who meets all of the 16
following criteria: 17
(a) The worker either graduated from an apprenticeship program 18
for the applicable occupation that was approved by the Washington 19
state apprenticeship and training council according to chapter 49.04 20
RCW, or has at least as many hours of on-the-job experience in the 21
applicable occupation that would be required to graduate from an 22
apprenticeship program approved by the Washington state 23
apprenticeship and training council according to chapter 49.04 RCW; 24
and 25
(b) The worker is being paid at least a rate ((commensurate with 26
the wages typically paid for the occupation in the applicable 27
geographic area, subject to the following provisions:28
(i) The prevailing wage rate paid for a worker in the applicable 29
occupation and geographic area on public works projects may be used 30
to determine the appropriate rate of pay, however, this subsection 31
(7)(b) does not require a contractor to pay prevailing wage rates; 32
and33
(ii) In no case may the worker be paid at a rate less than an 34
hourly rate consistent with the seventy-fifth percentile in the 35
applicable occupation and geographic area in the most recent 36
occupational employment statistics published by the employment 37
security department)) consistent with the prevailing rate of wage for 38
a worker in the applicable occupation and geographic area.39
p. 2 HB 1173
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect January 1, 2026.1
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p. 3 HB 1173