The legislation, House Bill 1644, comes as some other states, mostly Republican-led ones, have rolled back labor protections for young workers. The bill would set minimum penalties for youth labor violations, prohibit companies with multiple serious safety violations from hiring minors and require inspections before authorizing certain minor work permits.
This story is part of Cascade PBS’s WA Workplace Watch, an investigative project covering worker safety and labor in Washington state.
According to data from the state Department of Labor & Industries, workers’ compensation injury claims from minors jumped 60% between 2009 and 2023. In that same time period, employment among 16-19-year-olds grew 38%, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. Last year about a third of all Washington residents in that age group held jobs.
“We know that minors are more likely to get hurt due to their lack of experience,” Rep. Mary Fosse, D-Everett, a prime sponsor of the bill, said when she introduced it in the House’s Labor & Workplace Standards Committee last week. “These kids are also – unfortunately – more likely to be taken advantage of due to that lack of experience.”
During a public hearing, a representative of construction companies and contractors criticized the proposal to set minimum penalty levels into law, arguing the changes would prevent L&I from imposing more flexible fines.
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