Unemployment ins./part-time

AN ACT Relating to part-time workers in the unemployment 1
insurance system; amending RCW 50.20.119; and adding a new section to 2
chapter 50.20 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 50.20.119 and 2006 c 13 s 15 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) With respect to claims that have an effective date on or 7
after January 2, 2005 , and before August 3, 2025 , an otherwise 8
eligible individual may not be denied benefits for any week because 9
the individual is a part-time worker and is available for, seeks, 10
applies for, or accepts only work of ((seventeen)) 17 or fewer hours 11
per week by reason of the application of RCW 50.20.010(1)(c), 12
50.20.080, or 50.22.020(1) relating to availability for work and 13
active search for work, or failure to apply for or refusal to accept 14
suitable work. 15
(2) For purposes of this section, "part-time worker" means an 16
individual who: (a) Earned wages in "employment" in at least 17
((forty)) 40 weeks in the individual's base year; and (b) did not 18
earn wages in "employment" in more than ((seventeen)) 17 hours per 19
week in any weeks in the individual's base year. 20
H-0906.1
HOUSE BILL 1682
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Ortiz-Self, Berry, Simmons, Gregerson, Doglio,
Reed, Scott, and Pollet
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workplace
Standards.
p. 1 HB 1682
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 50.20 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
With respect to claims that have an effective date on or after 3
August 3, 2025: 4
(1) For the purposes of applying RCW 50.20.010(1)(c), 50.20.080, 5
or 50.22.020(1) concerning availability for work and active search 6
for work, or failure to apply for or refusal to accept suitable work, 7
an otherwise eligible individual may not be denied benefits for any 8
week because the individual is a part-time worker and is available 9
for, seeks, applies for, or accepts work for an average number of 10
weekly hours comparable to or more than the individual's average 11
number of weekly hours in the individual's base year.12
(2) An otherwise eligible individual who was not a part-time 13
worker in the individual's base year may not be denied benefits for 14
any week based on the individual being unavailable for full-time work 15
if: 16
(a) The individual has become unable to work full time as a 17
result of: The individual's illness or disability; the death, 18
illness, or disability of a family member; the care for a child or a 19
vulnerable adult in the individual's care becoming inaccessible; the 20
need to protect the individual or a member of the individual's 21
immediate family from domestic violence, as defined in RCW 7.105.010, 22
or stalking, as defined in RCW 9A.46.110; or other circumstances 23
beyond the individual's control; and 24
(b) The individual is available for, seeks, applies for, or 25
accepts work for an average number of 20 or more weekly hours.26
(3) For the purposes of this section, "part-time worker" means an 27
individual who: 28
(a) Earned wages in "employment" in at least 40 weeks in the 29
individual's base year; and 30
(b) Worked an average number of weekly hours that the employer 31
considers to be less than full time. 32
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p. 2 HB 1682