wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5437 > Substitute Bill
The legislature finds that noncompetition covenants hinder innovation and entrepreneurship, suppress wages, reduce job mobility, and ultimately harm consumers and the economy. In 2019 the legislature took a critical step forward by banning the use of noncompetition covenants for lower-wage earners. This did not go far enough. Research shows that noncompetition covenants restrict workers' mobility, impede efforts to correct inequities, and significantly suppress workers' wages across all sectors, including for those not subject to covenants, or subject to covenants that are unenforceable under state law. Even among supposed high-wage earners, the suggestion that these covenants are bargained is largely a legal fiction. Noncompetition covenants are often unilaterally imposed by employers and businesses without meaningful negotiation. Businesses have more specific and effective legal means to protect intellectual property, trade secrets, and clients without harming workers, contractors, and the public.
The evidence is clear. Banning noncompetition covenants will incentivize innovation and entrepreneurship, increase wages, and even reduce health care costs. To that end, in 2024 the federal trade commission adopted rules banning noncompetition covenants nationwide. Unfortunately, those rules have not been fully implemented. Washington's workers and businesses should not have to wait years for federal court rulings on a nationwide ban when the state has the authority to extend these protections.
The legislature hereby intends to ban noncompetition covenants for all Washington-based workers and businesses. Yet the legislature recognizes the limitations of a state ban. Workers in all jurisdictions need these same protections. But other states may be slow to act or will not act despite compelling economic interests. The state also does not intend for this act to modify or interfere with the sovereignty of tribal nations or with their exclusive jurisdiction to govern employment standards for employees working in Indian country for a business owned by a federally recognized tribe or tribal member. By joining other states that have banned noncompetition covenants, Washington will demonstrate the benefits to other states, tribes, and jurisdictions. Let the actions of this legislature to improve prosperity for all pave the way for the nation.
The legislature finds that:
Workforce mobility is important to economic growth and development;
Agreements limiting competition or hiring restrain trade and commerce and may be contracts of adhesion that may be unreasonable; and
The provisions in this chapter facilitating workforce mobility and protecting employees and independent contractors must be liberally construed and exceptions narrowly construed. In addition, nonsolicitation agreements, which prohibit an employee from actively soliciting current customers or employees away from the employer, are not prohibited; however, the definition of nonsolicitation agreement must be narrowly construed.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
1.
"Employee" and "employer" have the same meanings as in RCW 49.17.020.
"Franchisor" and "franchisee" have the same meanings as in RCW 19.100.010.
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"Noncompetition covenant" includes every written or oral covenant, agreement, or contract that prohibits or restrains an employee or independent contractor from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind.
"A noncompetition covenant" also includes a covenant, agreement, or contract between a performer and a performance space, or a third party scheduling the performer for a performance space, that prohibits or restrains the performer from engaging in a lawful performance.
A "noncompetition covenant" also includes an agreement that directly or indirectly prohibits the acceptance or transaction of business with a customer.
A "noncompetition covenant" also includes any provision in an agreement that threatens, demands, requires, or otherwise effectuates that an individual return, repay, or forfeit any right, benefit, or compensation, as a consequence of the individual engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind.
A "noncompetition covenant" does not include: (i) A nonsolicitation agreement; (ii) a confidentiality agreement; (iii) a covenant prohibiting use or disclosure of trade secrets or inventions; (iv) a covenant entered into by a person purchasing or selling the goodwill of a business or otherwise acquiring or disposing of an ownership interest, but only if the person signing the covenant purchases, sells, acquires, or disposes of an ownership interest representing one percent or more of the business; or (v) a covenant entered into by a franchisee when the franchise sale complies with RCW 19.100.020(1).
"Nonsolicitation agreement" means an agreement between an employer and employee that prohibits solicitation by an employee, upon termination of employment: (a) Of any employee of the employer to leave the employer; or (b) of any current customer of the employer to cease or reduce the extent to which it is doing business with the employer. An agreement that directly or indirectly prohibits the acceptance or transaction of business with a customer is not a "nonsolicitation agreement."
"Party seeking enforcement" means the named plaintiff or claimant in a proceeding to enforce a noncompetition covenant or the defendant in an action for declaratory relief.
regardless of when the parties entered into the noncompetition covenant.
It is a violation of this chapter for an employer to enforce, attempt to enforce, or threaten to enforce against an employee or worker any noncompetition covenant, to represent that the employee or worker is subject to a noncompetition covenant, or to enter into or attempt to enter into a noncompetition covenant with an employee or worker.
By October 1, 2027, an employer must provide to current employees, former employees, and independent contractors, who were required to enter into noncompetition covenants or whose contracts include noncompetition covenants, a written notice that the noncompetition covenant is void and unenforceable.
Upon a violation of this chapter, the attorney general, on behalf of a person or persons, may pursue any and all relief. A person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a cause of action to pursue any and all relief provided for in subsection (2) of this section.
If a court or arbitrator determines that a person has violated this chapter, the violator must pay the aggrieved person the greater of his or her actual damages or a statutory penalty of five thousand dollars, plus reasonable attorneys' fees, expenses, and costs incurred in the proceeding.
Subject to subsection (2) of this section, this chapter displaces conflicting tort, restitutionary, contract, including contract principles relating to discharge by assent or alteration, and other laws of this state pertaining to liability for competition by employees or independent contractors with their employers or principals, as appropriate.
This chapter does not amend or modify chapter 19.108 RCW.
RCW 49.62.010, 49.62.020, 49.62.080, and 49.62.090 apply to all proceedings commenced on or after the effective date of this section, regardless of when the cause of action arose.
Legal proceedings commenced before the effective date of this section will be governed by this chapter as amended prior to the effective date of this section.
This act takes effect June 30, 2027.