Defend Working Minors - Contact Your Legislators About HB 1644!

**UPDATE** Thank you all so much for your support of HB 1644! Because you used your voices to stand up for working children, our Representatives listened and passed this bill out of the House. Next up is the Senate. These minor workers will be counting on to speak up again in the near future, so please watch for our next call to action.

House Bill 1644 increases the penalties for employers who take advantage of their young workers and place them in harm's way, PLUS it gives Washington's State Department of Labor and Industries essential discretion to take away minor work permits when employers continue to violate the law. 

This is a vitally needed bill, but our elected officials aren't hearing from enough working people that they want these changes put into place. You can help change that by sending a message to your state Legislators today, urging them to support HB 1644. 

Here's all you have to do: 

1) Go to the bill's page on the Washington Legislature's web site (if this link doesn't work, copy this address:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=1644&Year=2025&Initiative=false
and paste it into your web browser.) 

2) Click the green button on the right of the page labeled "Send a comment on this bill to your legislators" 

3) Enter your street address and click the "Verify District" button. You'll see the names of your legislators displayed with check boxes. Check ALL THREE BOXES (and be sure to mark "Yes" under "Would you like a response to your comment.") 

4) Enter your name, email address and phone number. 

5) Click the button marked "Support," then write your comment. Here's some draft language you can use to get started - but please make your comment your own: 

I urge you to support HB 1644, which increases the penalties for employers who violate the laws protecting minor workers and gives L&I the discretion it needs to protect these children in the workforce. Making sure our young people have exposure to working is important, but not at the expense of their physical safety or their rights as workers. Opponents of this bill claim that it might have a chilling affect on hiring minors, but if having to follow the laws in place impacts a company's desire to hire a minor, then that company probably shouldn't have minor employees in the first place. 

Knowing that people's children will be better protected is very important to me. Please support the passage of HB 1644. 

6) Click "Send Comment" at the bottom of the page, and you're done! 

Lets make sure our Legislators in Olympia know how important it is to us that minors be protected in the workplace. Please send your comment in TODAY!