What happened?

On May 20, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill (SB) 5217 into law, amending the Healthy Starts Act to expand workplace protections for pregnant and postpartum employees and introduces new requirements for all employers, including paid lactation breaks, broader accommodation obligations, and updated enforcement procedures.

Overview:

Why This Matters for Employers: This law significantly increases obligations around pregnancy and lactation accommodations.

• Expanded Coverage: Applies to all employers, including those with just one employee and nonprofit religious organizations.

• Reasonable Accommodations: Employers must provide accommodations such as:

• Flexible scheduling for prenatal and postpartum medical visits.
  • Modified duties, equipment, or lifting limits.
  • Seating and more frequent breaks.
    These must be provided unless they cause an undue hardship.

• Paid Lactation Breaks

• Breaks for expressing breast milk must be paid at the employee’s regular rate.
  • Includes travel time if no private lactation space is available onsite.
  • Cannot require use of paid leave.
  • Breaks are in addition to regular meals and rest periods.

• No Medical Documentation Required: Employees do not need to provide a doctor’s note to request accommodation.

• Jury Duty Deferral: Breastfeeding employees with infants under 24 months may request delay or be excused from jury service.

• Enforcement & Penalties:

• The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) will enforce the law and provide educational resources.
  • Employees may file complaints with L&I or pursue civil legal action.
  • Employers may face civil penalties for noncompliance.

Source References

• Washington SB 5217 – Expanding pregnancy-related accommodations

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