Engrossed House Bill 1756 (EHB 1756) passed the Washington State Legislature and was signed into law in 2019. The bill tasked the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) with convening an adult entertainer advisory committee.

EHB 1756 establishes requirements addressing panic buttons and “blocklists,” both of which took effect beginning July 28, 2019. Adult entertainment establishments are required to provide panic buttons in certain locations of the establishment, and may be used by an entertainer if they have been harmed, believe there is a risk of harm, or there is another emergency in their presence.

Adult entertainment establishments must also document accusations of customer violence against adult entertainers through the use of a “blocklist,” which records the customer’s identifying information for a period of at least five years. If an accusation of a violence by a customer is supported by a statement made under penalty of perjury or other evidence, the establishment must ban such customer for a period of not less than three years. Establishments with common ownership must share this information and also decline admission to the customer.

Beginning July 1, 2020, adult entertainers were required to take a “know your rights” training and provide proof of training completion in order to receive or renew an adult entertainer license issued by a local government.

Additional Safety and Security Considerations

The advisory committee considered whether additional measures would increase safety and security of adult entertainers. The committee also identified measures that would require legislative action and reported these recommendations to the Legislature in November, 2020.

The adult entertainer advisory committee is facilitated by L&I, and comprised of currently/formerly licensed adult entertainers, industry representatives, and advocates. The advisory committee is tasked with assisting in the development of the “know your rights” training. The committee is also required to report to the Legislature any additional measures that would increase the safety and security of adult entertainers, and would require legislative action.

Upcoming meetings

None scheduled at this time.

Previous meetings

• Thursday, August 19, 2021 - cancelled
• Thursday, June 24, 2021 - Virtual
• April 22, 2021 - Virtual
• February 25, 2021 - Virtual
• November 16, 2020 - Virtual
• August 10, 2020 - Virtual
• July 13, 2020 - Virtual
• June 1, 2020 - Virtual
• May 4, 2020 - Virtual
• April 6, 2020 - Virtual
• March 9, 2020 – Virtual
• February 10, 2020 – Tukwila
• January 13, 2020 – Tukwila
• December 9, 2019 - Tukwila
• November 18, 2019 - Tukwila
• October 21, 2019 - Tukwila

Rulemaking drafts

• April 21, 2020 draft language
• March 6, 2020 draft language
• December 19, 2019 draft language

Rule filing documents

• CR-103 Adoption - May 3, 2022
• CR-103 Adoption Language - May 3, 2022
• Final Cost Benefit Analysis - May 3, 2022
• Concise Explanatory Statement (CES) - May 3, 2022
• CR-102 Continuance Proposed Rule Language – March 1, 2022 (identical to CR-102 Proposed Rule Language – January 4, 2022)
• CR-102 Proposed Rule Language - January 4, 2022
• CR-101 Preproposal - November 5, 2019

Engrossed House Bill 1756 (EHB 1756)

Adult entertainer safety training: Know Your Rights

Note: The certificate of completion provided when completing the training is not displaying the attendee’s name. We are working on an update to correct the issue. In the interim, please provide a screen shot to the licensing entity to show proof of completion.

This training is required for adult entertainer licensing and includes:

• education about the rights and responsibilities of entertainers, including with respect to working as an employee or independent contractor;
• reporting of workplace injuries, including sexual and physical abuse and sexual harassment;
• financial aspects of the entertainer profession;
• the risk of human trafficking; and
• resources for assistance.