House, Senate pass set of bills to improve unemployment system
Washington state capitol in Olympia. (AP file photo)
UPDATE: A fourth unemployment-related bill has now passed the House and Senate as of Wednesday. Substitute House Bill 1455 stops the Employment Security Department and the Department of Labor and Industries from using people’s full social security numbers in correspondence with non-governmental third parties, except in financial transactions, encrypted messages, or cases where the full number is required by law. Legislators said the goal of the bill was to prevent fraud attacks like the one at Employment Security last year.
Three bills to help the state’s unemployment system have now passed both chambers in the Legislature.
The House of Representatives convened Monday in Olympia to begin the 2021 legislative session. The day also marked the beginning of legislative service for newly sworn in
Representative Dan Bronoske (D-Lakewood). Rep. Bronoske was elected in November 2020 to replace Rep. Christine Kilduff who did not run for reelection.
Bronoske will serve on the House Health Care & Wellness and Labor & Workplace Standards Committees, as well as the Transportation Committee, to which he was named 2
nd vice chair.
“I’m excited to work hard for the 28
th District. As a firefighter, first responder and union member, I’ve seen firsthand how strong labor protections and equitable access to high quality affordable health care can mean the difference between life and death for our neighbors. We have a lot of challenges before us as a state, so we’ll need to cut through all the polarization and work hard to meet the needs of all people who live here.”