Allowing agricultural employees to voluntarily waive overtime requirements for up to 15 workweeks in a calendar year.

 H-1970.1

HOUSE BILL 2052

State of Washington

69th Legislature

2025 Regular Session

By Representatives Mendoza, Dufault, Barnard, Chase, and Stuebe

Read first time 03/25/25. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards.

AN ACT Relating to increasing agricultural employees' access to economic opportunities by allowing those employees to voluntarily waive overtime requirements for up to 15 workweeks in a calendar year; amending RCW 49.46.130 ; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that agricultural workers have been harmed by the lack of a seasonality exception to overtime pay rules. Agricultural workers across the state are earning less money during peak harvest seasons because agricultural employers are capping hours worked to comply with overtime limitations imposed by the legislature in recent years. The purpose of this legislation is to give individual agricultural workers the opportunity, at their discretion, to increase their hours and compensation during peak harvest seasons.

Sec. 2. RCW 49.46.130 and 2021 c 249 s 2 are each amended to read as follows: