Last month Gov. Inslee signed new, updated version of law
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the Washington Attorney General’s Office stood up for Hanford workers at the United States Supreme Court. The Office is defending Washington’s bipartisan state law designed to make it easier for workers to access the compensation benefits they earned when they develop certain illnesses from working at a site contaminated with radioactive waste.
The 2018 law that the federal government challenged was updated and enhanced this year. During the just-completed 2022 session, the Legislature passed SB 5890, sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, which makes important clarifications and enhancements to the old 2018 law. Those enhancements, such as ensuring the protections apply to all individuals, including state employees, who conduct work on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, address key concerns voiced by the federal government. SB 5890 received strong bipartisan support. Gov. Jay Inslee signed SB 5890 into law on March 11, and it took effect immediately. Consequently, the new law is currently in effect.
The Biden administration has not challenged the new law.
Washington Deputy Solicitor General Tera Heintz delivered oral arguments before the Supreme Court.
“I’m proud of my legal team for their efforts today,” Ferguson said. “To be blunt, if the Hanford Nuclear Reservation was located outside Washington, D.C., the federal government would not be continuing this cruel legal challenge. As...
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