Bad Bills We Stopped
More barriers to homebuilding deepens housing crisis
House Bill 2191 makes owners and general contractors financially responsible for unpaid wages and benefits owed by subcontractors—even when they were not involved in the violation. The bill creates joint and several liability across all tiers of construction projects, mandates penalties and double damages, and allows workers, third parties, and the attorney general to bring lawsuits.
Why is this a bad policy?
- Creates unlimited liability for owners and contractors. HB 2191 holds owners and general contractors legally responsible for wage violations committed by subcontractors. This exposes businesses to massive financial risk for actions they did not control.
- Hurts small and minority-owned contractors. To limit risk, owners and general contractors may stop working with smaller subcontractors altogether. That reduces competition, squeezes small and minority-owned businesses out of the market, and concentrates work among larger firms.
- Encourages litigation instead of fixing problems. The bill mandates penalties and double damages even when violations are not willful and allows multiple parties to sue. This prioritizes lawsuits over cooperations, quick resolution, and targeted enforcement against bad actors.
- Slows housing and infrastructure projects. More liability, more paperwork, and more legal exposure mean slower projects and fewer contractors willing to bid. At a time when Washington needs more housing and infrastructure, this bill makes it harder to build anything.
Bottom line
HB 2191 expands liability, raises construction costs, and slows housing production at the worst possible time. Amid a housing crisis, this bill makes it more expensive and more challenging to build the homes and infrastructure Washington desperately needs.
Last updated: April 13, 2026 - 1:56 pm
Timeline:
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NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN DURING THE 2026 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
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Vote to move the bill out of the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee (executive session) at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 23
- Voted out of committee party-line 6-3.
- Watch the committee hearing on TVW.
- Next steps: Referred to House Rules Committee.
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Public hearing in the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee at 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 14
- Send a comment to your state legislators on your position.
- Sign up to testify (in person or remotely).
- Submit written testimony.
- Watch the committee hearing on TVW.
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Prefiled on Dec. 23