Department of Labor & Industries
12806 Gateway Drive South
Tukwila, WA 98168

L&I Office Locations

A pre-hearing overview will begin at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will start at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until all oral comments are received. This public hearing will be held jointly with L&I’s Division of Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards (FPLS).

L&I encourages the submittal of written comments, due by 5:00 p.m. on October 18, 2024. 

The purpose of this rulemaking is to implement and enforce the requirements of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6105 (ESSB 6105), codified under RCW 49.17.470, which addresses safety and health standards for entertainers at adult entertainment establishments. Specifically, this rulemaking addresses some of the following under chapter 296-831 WAC: (1) Added a statutory requirement that an adult entertainment establishment provide training, inclusive of the training topics outlined in ESSB 6105, to its employees other than entertainers; (2) Updated requirements to clarify that panic buttons in establishments must be accessible, added a statutory requirement to submit annual proof of compliance and panic button maintenance to L&I, and provided details about submitting proof of compliance; (3) Added statutory requirements for establishments to provide appropriate cleaning supplies, equip dressing or locker rooms with a keypad requiring a code, displaying signage about appropriate customer etiquette, and establishing written processes and procedures for responding to customer violence and ejecting customers who violate club policies; (4) Added a statutory requirement that an adult entertainment establishment have written policies and procedures for implementation of the block list and panic buttons requirements, and must make such policies, procedures, and any other related records available for inspection by L&I upon request; (5) Added statutory requirements that an adult entertainment establishment provide dedicated security personnel and specify when security personnel may not engage in duties other than security, and provide guidance to assist establishments in determining peak operating hours, and how to asses when additional security is necessary; (6) Clarified language to assist establishments in differentiating between a customer complaint log and blocklist; and (7) Made other housekeeping amendments in chapter 296-831 WAC. L&I’s Fraud Prevention and Labor Standards (FPLS) division also conducted rulemaking to clarify and implement the requirements of ESSB 6105 under chapter 49.46 RCW. The adopted rules also describe FPLS’s enforcement mechanisms, including the complaint, investigation, citation, and appeals processes. The rules also provide for remedies and penalties for violations of the rules.