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WashingtonHB 15332025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Allowing a specialty electrician to continue working under a valid specialty certificate of competency while enrolled in a journey level apprenticeship program.

Sponsored By: Suzanne Schmidt (Republican)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Electrician apprentices gain work with training limits

Beginning January 1, 2026, qualifying electrician apprentices can keep doing specialty work without changing their apprenticeship status. They must hold a valid specialty electrician certificate from Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries. Their approved general journey-level program must be run by an apprenticeship committee representing a single employer. Specialty-work hours do not count toward finishing the apprenticeship and may delay the next pay increase because fewer training hours accumulate. Employers must report detailed specialty-work hours to the department quarterly. Each year, employers must tell apprentices the law’s requirements, their specialty-work pay, and the risk of delayed pay increases. Employers are exempt from the program’s reasonably continuous employment rule only if they provide at least 800 qualifying training hours yearly. The department director can suspend both permissions for willfully or repeatedly submitting incorrect or incomplete reports, or submitting reports late. The director can also adopt rules to carry out the law.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Suzanne Schmidt

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Alex Ramel

    Democratic • House

  • Julia Reed

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 240 • No: 0

House vote • 4/17/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 95 • No: 0 • Other: 3

Senate vote • 4/11/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 49 • No: 0

House vote • 3/11/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 96 • No: 0 • Other: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 1/1/2026.

    5/12/2025House

  2. Chapter 240, 2025 Laws.

    5/12/2025House

  3. Governor signed.

    5/12/2025legislature

  4. Delivered to Governor.

    4/22/2025legislature

  5. President signed.

    4/19/2025legislature

  6. Speaker signed.

    4/18/2025legislature

  7. Passed final passage; yeas, 95; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 3.

    4/17/2025House

  8. House concurred in Senate amendments.

    4/17/2025House

  9. Third reading, passed; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    4/11/2025House

  10. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/11/2025House

  11. Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.

    4/11/2025House

  12. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

    4/7/2025House

  13. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

    4/2/2025House

  14. LC - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

    4/1/2025House

  15. First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce.

    3/13/2025House

  16. Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    3/11/2025House

  17. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/11/2025House

  18. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    3/11/2025House

  19. 1st substitute bill substituted.

    3/11/2025House

  20. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.

    2/28/2025House

  21. Referred to Rules 2 Review.

    2/21/2025House

  22. LAWS - Executive action taken by committee.

    2/19/2025House

  23. LAWS - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.

    2/19/2025House

  24. First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards.

    1/23/2025House

  25. Introduced

    1/23/2025House

Bill Text

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