Legislative Session Update

The ICSEW Legislative and Policy Subcommittee is tracking over 250 bills this legislative session. March 8 is the last day for bills to pass out of the house or origin (except for House fiscal committees and Senate Ways and Means and Transportation committees). Below is a list of bills we’ve been watching that may be of interest to you. There is still time for you to have an impact on these bills – we encourage you to follow the links, learn about the bill, then share your opinion with your legislators.
Equal Pay/Employment
HB 1447 Addressing Equal Pay
HB 1506 Addressing workplace practices to achieve gender pay equity
SB 5140 Concerning enforcement of the Equal Pay Act and worker communications about wages and employment opportunities
HB 1298 Prohibiting employers from asking about arrests or convictions before an applicant is determined otherwise qualified for a position
HB 1521 Removing the requirement that an employee must work at least six months before taking vacation leave (state employment)
SB 5020 Concerning certain state ethnic and cultural diversity commissions
Public Safety and Health
SHB 1384/SB 5256 Concerning sexual assault protection orders
SB 5037 Making a fourth driving under the influence offense a felony
SHB 1163 Concerning domestic violence
SHB 1155 Making felony sex offenses a crime that may be prosecuted at any time after its commission
SHB 1076 Permitting the donation of home-prepared foods to charitable organizations
Family Medical Leave/Women’s Health
SB 5295 Adding the use of shared leave for pregnancy disability or for the purposes of parental leave to bond with the employee’s newborn, adoptive, or foster child
HB 1796 Providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnant women
SB 5479 Establishing a shared parental leave program
SSB 5084 Providing women with timely information regarding their breast health
HB 1116 Implementing family and medical leave insurance
SB 5835 Promoting healthy outcomes for pregnant women and infants
Tax-Related
HB 1265/SB 5093 Providing tax relief to females by exempting feminine hygiene products from retails sales and use tax
HB 1457 Creating a sales tax holiday for back-to-school clothing and supplies
Voting
SB 5019 Providing prepaid postage for primary and general election ballots