---
type: "Bill"
title: "Making unemployment benefits accessible to persons with family responsibilities and other availability issues and making clarifying changes."
description: "Making unemployment benefits accessible to persons with family responsibilities and other availability issues and making clarifying changes."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "SB 5473"
citation: "Washington SB 5473 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Saldaña"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 40
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2019-01-22"
last_action: "2020-03-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/507e72ba-51e5-4871-b85a-53a68f144f24"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5473&year=2019"
source_hash: "0c80125db157096ea2684bf19551f9666ebaee28c7847b5e56cb7f21fb0ca9eb"
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 5473 (2019-2020) — Making unemployment benefits accessible to persons with family responsibilities and other availability issues and making clarifying changes.

## 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/5473.htm)
2. **Engrossed Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5473-S.E.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5473-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#31) — **40–6** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#16) — **32–17** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#2) — **57–40** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Saldaña — primary (person)
- Nguyen — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-01-22** First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce. `reading-1`
- **2020-01-13** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2020-02-04** LBRC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-02-04** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-04** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-04** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-05** On motion, referred to Rules.
- **2020-02-11** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-13** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-02-04** LBRC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-02-04** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-04** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-04** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-05** On motion, referred to Rules.
- **2020-02-11** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-13** 1st substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-02-13** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2020-02-13** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-02-13** Third reading, passed; yeas, 40; nays, 6; absent, 0; excused, 3. `reading-3`
- **2020-02-17** First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-25** LAWS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2020-02-25** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-27** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2020-03-02** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2020-03-05** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2020-03-05** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-03-05** Third reading, passed; yeas, 57; nays, 40; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-03-10** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2020-03-10** Passed final passage; yeas, 32; nays, 17; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** President signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** Delivered to Governor.
- **2020-03-27** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2020-03-27** Chapter 190, 2020 Laws. `became-law`
- **2020-03-27** Effective date 6/11/2020. `became-law`
- **2019-02-14T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 08:00 AM
- **2020-01-16T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 08:00 AM
- **2020-02-04T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 08:00 AM
- **2020-02-20T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 08:00 AM
- **2020-02-25T20:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 03:30 PM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/507e72ba-51e5-4871-b85a-53a68f144f24`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).