Bill > SB5792

This bill concerns temporary compensation reductions for state government employees during the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium. Specifically, it establishes a 4.98% base salary reduction for most state employees across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The bill provides several important exemptions and provisions, including that certain groups are not subject to the salary reduction, such as elected officials, higher education employees, and some specific categories of workers. The legislation also includes provisions to ensure that the salary reduction does not reduce an employee's base salary below minimum wage requirements. For employees subject to collective bargaining agreements that prevent direct salary reductions, agencies may achieve the 4.98% reduction through alternative methods like reduced work hours, mandatory leave without pay, or temporary layoffs. Additionally, the bill allows state elected officials to voluntarily reduce their salaries and ensures that these temporary reductions will not negatively impact retirement benefit calculations. The bill is part of the state's broader effort to manage expenditures and is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with specific provisions for implementing and tracking the temporary salary reductions across different state agencies and employee groups.

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5792&Year=2025&Initiative=false