Advocates back technical fixes to pregnancy and postpartum workplace law

Substitute Senate Bill 60 14 drew supportive testimony from an advocacy group and the bill's sponsor Feb. 20 as a technical clean-up to the state's pregnancy and postpartum workplace accommodation law.

Jim Morishima, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s two main features: restoring a cross-reference so that a doctor's note cannot be required for basic accommodations (such as carrying water or short sitting breaks) and creating a public-records exemption to protect the identity and personal medical information of complainants who ask L&I for assistance. Morishima noted the enforcement authority for these protections shifts from the attorney general to L&I effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Senator Tawanna Nobles (28th Legislative District) described SB 60 14 as a bipartisan, technical cleanup that will ensure the Healthy Starts Act functions as intended when enforcement moves to L&I, saying the bill concerns "clarity, privacy, and preventing unnecessary barriers for workers while keeping the undue hardship protection for employers fully in place."

Maggie Humphreys of Moms Rising testified remotely in strong support and said a drafting error in last year’s changes would have required doctor's notes for minor accommodations; the bill restores prior practice and strengthens worker privacy protections.

The committee closed the public hearing on SB 60 14 after testimony; sponsors and advocates urged the committee to move the technical fix forward.