Starting August 1st, 2025, Washington State will implement several important new laws affecting various areas including employment, housing, and transportation. Key employment-related changes include expanded wage transparency and anti-discrimination protections, prohibiting coercion based on immigration status with significant penalties, and granting employees access to detailed personnel files within 21 days of request. The “Fair Chance Act” is also expanded to limit background checks to after a conditional job offer. In housing, rent increases will be capped at 7% plus inflation (maximum 10%), with new notice and landlord parity requirements.
Additionally, religious leaders will now be mandated to report child abuse, except in confessional contexts, and local parking mandates will be limited to one space per two housing units. The Washington State Department of Transportation is required to adjust transportation funding caps annually for inflation. These laws are part of a broader package of 333 new laws that began taking effect in late July, reflecting significant regulatory updates across the state.
