---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning the H-2A temporary agricultural program."
description: "Concerning the H-2A temporary agricultural program."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "SB 5438"
citation: "Washington SB 5438 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYEES", "PUBLIC FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS", "EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT", "FARMS AND FARMING", "IMMIGRATION", "IMMIGRANTS", "AND IMMIGRATION STATUS", "AGRICULTURE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["McCoy"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 56
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2019-01-21"
last_action: "2019-05-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f66fc1b2-3876-464f-8803-f9c650f62a0e"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5438&year=2019"
source_hash: "d0600386846e16807b0ae42545cb05332e53c5ed78aed84c9ede5799419deb93"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5438 (2019-2020) — Concerning the H-2A temporary agricultural program.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5438.htm)
2. **Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5438-S2.E.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5438-S2.htm)
4. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5438-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#8) — **35–12** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#5) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- 199 King Striker (#29) — **19–28** (fail) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#30) — **26–21** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- McCoy — primary (person)
- Conway — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Rolfes — cosponsor (person)
- Saldaña — cosponsor (person)
- Van De Wege — cosponsor (person)
- Wellman — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-21** First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce. `reading-1`
- **2019-02-14** LBRC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2019-02-14** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-14** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2019-02-15** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2019-02-27** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2019-02-27** Minority; do not pass.
- **2019-02-27** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2019-03-01** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2019-03-05** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2019-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2019-02-14** LBRC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2019-02-14** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-14** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2019-02-15** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2019-02-27** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2019-02-27** Minority; do not pass.
- **2019-02-27** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2019-03-01** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2019-03-05** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2019-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2019-02-27** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2019-02-27** Minority; do not pass.
- **2019-02-27** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2019-03-01** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2019-03-05** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2019-03-06** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2019-03-06** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2019-03-06** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2019-03-06** Third reading, passed; yeas, 26; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2019-03-08** First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards. `reading-1`
- **2019-04-02** LAWS - Majority; do pass.
- **2019-04-02** Minority; do not pass.
- **2019-04-03** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2019-04-08** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2019-04-09** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2019-04-10** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2019-04-11** Committee recommendations adopted and the bill amended.
- **2019-04-11** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2019-04-11** Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2019-04-22** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2019-04-22** Passed final passage; yeas, 35; nays, 12; absent, 0; excused, 2. `passage`
- **2019-04-23** President signed. `passage`
- **2019-04-24** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2019-04-25** Delivered to Governor.
- **2019-05-21** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-21** Chapter 441, 2019 Laws. `became-law`
- **2019-05-21** Effective date 7/28/2019. `became-law`
- **2019-02-07T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 08:00 AM
- **2019-02-14T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 08:00 AM
- **2019-02-26T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 01:30 PM
- **2019-02-27T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 01:30 PM
- **2019-03-28T12:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 08:00 AM
- **2019-04-02T19:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 03:30 PM
- **2019-04-06T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 09:00 AM
- **2019-04-08T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 09:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f66fc1b2-3876-464f-8803-f9c650f62a0e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).