The bill adds a new section to chapter 49.44 RCW creating a new unfair practice: an employer may not state in a job advertisement, posting, application, or other material that an applicant must have a valid driver’s license unless the job description in that material includes specific job functions that require operating a motor vehicle in a manner that would require a license. The text expressly provides that transportation to and from the job site does not count as a job function requiring operation of a motor vehicle. The measure creates a private civil remedy: a person injured by a violation may sue to enjoin further violations, recover actual damages, and recover the cost of suit and reasonable attorneys’ fees. The bill is identified as H-1340.1 Substitute House Bill 1402 (69th Legislature, 2025 Regular Session). The extracted text does not state an effective date, the exact new section number within chapter 49.44 RCW, any administrative enforcement mechanism or agency, or any other penalties, burden of proof, or statute of limitations.

If enacted, employers that now list a driver's license as a blanket requirement will likely stop doing so for jobs that do not actually require driving, because people excluded by those postings could sue for injunctions, actual damages, and recover court costs and attorneys' fees. That will push employers to review and rewrite job ads and application materials so that a license is only required when the listed duties explicitly involve operating a motor vehicle; job seekers who lack a license may have wider access to positions and a private legal remedy if they believe they were excluded improperly. The practical costs and risks fall mainly on employers, who face potential litigation expenses, damages, and the operational cost of changing hiring materials and practices. Courts may see more private civil actions, since no administrative enforcement agency or penalties beyond private suits are identified in the text. The bill text provided does not state an effective date, enforcement procedures, burden of proof, or time limits for bringing claims, so the timing and some enforcement details remain uncertain.