June 27: The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act – or the INFORM Consumers Act, went into effect requiring “online marketplaces“ where “high-volume third-party sellers“ offer new or unused consumer products must collect, verify, and disclose certain information about those sellers, including banking information, Tax ID, and verified contact information. See the in-depth overview from the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA.)
July 1: Employers must begin collecting WA Cares premiums (Washington’s long-term care tax) from Washington Employees’ payroll checks and submit them as they do for Paid Leave. The Paid Leave reporting system has been updated and can now accommodate reporting for both programs simultaneously.
July 1: The state 2023-25 biennial budget goes into effect, including a $2.265 million provision to fund an internal Organized Retail Crime Unit in the Office of the Attorney General. The unit will hire investigators, data analysts, and prosecutors to target major ORC crime rings.
July 1: Thousands of Tukwila workers will see a significant raise in their paychecks. The city will join Seattle and SeaTac in raising its minimum wage to $18.99 an hour. The change comes after Tukwila voters approved an initiative to increase the minimum wage by more than $3.00.
August 15: The Attorney General is convening the 4th ORC Task Force meeting in Seattle. This meeting will be a hybrid, allowing both in-person and attendance via the Zoom platform. Registration details are not available as of yet but will be announced soon.
July 17: L&I’s Outdoor Heat Exposure permanent rulemaking update is now final, with a July 17 effective date. The rules are in effect year-round. Heat rule-related resources: Rules, Heat Smart webpage, and heat rule factsheet.
