The bill amends Washington's unemployment insurance laws to clarify the eligibility of individuals for benefits when their unemployment is due to strikes or lockouts. It specifies that individuals will be disqualified from receiving benefits if their unemployment results from a strike at their last place of employment, unless they are not participating in or financing the strike. This disqualification will last until two weeks after the strike begins, provided it is not illegal, or until the strike ends. Additionally, individuals may receive benefits for up to 12 weeks if their unemployment is due to a strike at their separating employer's premises.

New provisions require the state to recover unemployment benefits if individuals receive retroactive wages for weeks they were on strike. The bill mandates annual reports to the legislature on the prevalence of strikes and their impact on the unemployment insurance trust fund until 2035, including detailed data on strikes, affected industries, and unemployment claims. It establishes an expiration date for these provisions on January 1, 2036, and specifies that the act will take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 50.20.090, 50.20.160, 50.29.021
Substitute Bill: 50.20.090, 50.20.160, 50.29.021
Engrossed Substitute: 50.20.090, 50.20.160, 50.29.021