| OLYMPIA – Last night, the Washington State House of Representatives approved House Bill 2479, sponsored by Rep. Mary Fosse (D-Everett), to strengthen Washington’s response to wage theft, enforcement, and ensure workers can recover unpaid wages more quickly and fairly.
Rep. Fosse, vice chair of the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee, said the bill is about something simple: making sure workers get paid for the work they do.
“Workers should be paid for their labor, and employers breaking the law need to be held accountable. It’s that basic,” Fosse said. “Wage theft can mean missed rent, unpaid bills, working families struggling to make ends meet, and an unfair competitive advantage on honest, law-abiding employers who pay their workers fairly. This bill will help hold bad actors accountable and help workers recover what they’re owed faster.”
Watch Rep. Fosse’s floor remarks on House passage of her legislation:
House Bill 2479 improves Washington’s wage enforcement system by:
- Giving the Department of Labor and Industries discretion to investigate complaints under the Wage Payment Act.
- Strengthening outdated penalties for willful wage violations to deter repeat offenders.
- Creating a structured penalty framework that reflects the seriousness of violations.
- Creating the Wage Recovery Program and Wage Recovery Account to help unpaid low-wage workers access some of their unpaid wages while cases are being resolved.
- Establishing clearer timelines for investigations and determinations by the Department of Labor & Industries.
Wage theft disproportionately impacts low-income workers, immigrants, and workers in industries where retaliation is a real fear. Fosse said the legislation builds on Washington’s strong worker protection laws by making enforcement more timely, transparent, and effective.
“Our working families shouldn’t have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table while waiting for justice,” Fosse said. “Our economy depends on workers being treated with dignity and fairness.”
The bill passed on a unanimous vote and now moves to the Senate for consideration. |
