Postgrad degree requirements

AN ACT Relating to reducing barriers to state employment by 1
eliminating postgraduate degree requirements that are unnecessary; 2
and reenacting and amending RCW 41.06.157. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 41.06.157 and 2024 c 330 s 11 and 2024 c 70 s 2 are 5
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 6
(1) To promote the most effective use of the state's workforce 7
and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of 8
services to the citizens of the state, the director shall adopt and 9
maintain a comprehensive classification plan for all positions in the 10
classified service. The classification plan must: 11
(a) Be simple and streamlined; 12
(b) Support state agencies in responding to changing 13
technologies, economic and social conditions, and the needs of its 14
citizens; 15
(c) Value workplace diversity; 16
(d) Facilitate the reorganization and decentralization of 17
governmental services; 18
(e) Enhance mobility and career advancement opportunities;19
(f) Consider rates in other public employment and private 20
employment in the state; 21
Z-0593.1
HOUSE BILL 2309
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Leavitt, Rude, Reed, Zahn, Kloba, Doglio, Ormsby,
and Jacobsen; by request of Office of Financial Management
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on State Government & Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 2309
(g) Not require a two-year ((or)), four-year, or postgraduate 1
college degree as the only way to demonstrate qualifications for the 2
role unless that degree is required by law for an employee to perform 3
the essential functions of a classification; and 4
(h) Recognize that persons legally authorized to work in the 5
United States under federal law, including deferred action for 6
childhood arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless 7
prohibited by other state or federal law. 8
(2) An appointing authority and an employee organization 9
representing classified employees of the appointing authority for 10
collective bargaining purposes may jointly request the director of 11
financial management to initiate a classification study.12
(3) For institutions of higher education and related boards, the 13
director may adopt special salary ranges to be competitive with 14
positions of a similar nature in the state or the locality in which 15
the institution of higher education or related board is located.16
(4) The director may undertake salary surveys of positions in 17
other public and private employment to establish market rates. Any 18
salary survey information collected from private employers which 19
identifies a specific employer with salary rates which the employer 20
pays to its employees shall not be subject to public disclosure under 21
chapter 42.56 RCW. 22
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p. 2 HB 2309