OLYMPIA—Today the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 2246 sponsored by Rep. Jessica Bateman (D-22nd LD) that increases the annual vacation hour accrual cap from 240 to 280 hours.
There are over 73,000 state employees in Washington who perform essential services and keep public safety and health systems running smoothly across the state. State employees include behavioral health professionals, nurses, and security guards; jobs that require extended shifts to provide emergency services and quality care.
“Many of our state employees work long hours and overtime to make sure Washingtonians get the care and services they need,” said Rep. Bateman. “They shouldn’t have to lose their earned benefits because of staffing shortages.”
Even with a 40-hour accrual cap increase, Washington lags behind other states with significantly higher annual caps like Oregon (350) hours, Georgia (360 hours) or California (640 hours).
“Raising the accrual cap shows our state employees how much we value their service,” Rep. Bateman said. “This is a relatively small fix that will have a big impact on people’s lives and demonstrate that Washington values the health and wellbeing of our public servants and appreciate the valuable work they do.”