More than two dozen new laws take effect Jan. 1 in Washington, including an increase in the state’s minimum wage, a 10-day waiting period and safety training requirement for firearm purchases, and rules regarding employment of persons using cannabis or marijuana outside the workplace.
The new statutes are among scores of bills approved by state legislators earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. Most of the measures have already been enacted this year and less than a handful are on hold until 2025.
Here’s a summary of those on tap for 2024:
MINIMUM WAGE: As of Jan. 1, Washington state will have the nation’s highest minimum wage when the current rate of $15.74 jumps by 3.4% to $16.28 per hour. That’s more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25, which has remained unchanged since July 2009.
The state’s new rate will be even higher in the cities of Seattle ($18.69) and SeaTac ($19.06), according to the Washington Department of Labor & Industries. Most agriculture and non-ag jobs qualify for minimum wage. A lower rate is allowed for working minors ages 14-15, who must receive at least 85% of minimum wage, and certain on-the-job, student, disabled, and apprentice workers.
Annual adjustments are based on the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers as a result of Initiative 1433 approved by Washington voters in 2016.
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