House Bill 1879 passed unanimously March 4 on a 95-0 vote, according to the chamber’s website. State senators will now consider the legislation.
Under current law, hospitals are required to provide meal breaks between the first two to five hours of an eight-hour shift. However, many hospital workers’ shifts are often longer, according to a news release from bill sponsor Rep. Brianna Thomas. “This bill allows workers to take breaks that make sense for their schedules, helping them balance taking care of themselves while taking care of us,” said Ms. Thomas.
Ms. Thomas said the bill would allow hospitals to waive break timing requirements, provided that workers and hospitals mutually agree and that the schedule changes are documented, according to a report in The Seattle Medium.