---
type: "Bill"
title: "Prohibiting unjustified employer searches of employee personal vehicles."
description: "Prohibiting unjustified employer searches of employee personal vehicles."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "HB 1491"
citation: "Washington HB 1491 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Orcutt"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 36
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-01-20"
last_action: "2023-05-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dfc060b0-32c6-4835-bb0d-32d2071666b1"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1491&year=2023"
source_hash: "abbef32be8fd6f34c27427ef35055e154854522d3eaf5ceb365383bef04caac2"
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 HB 1491 (2023-2024) — Prohibiting unjustified employer searches of employee personal vehicles.

## 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/2023-24/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/1491.htm)
2. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/1491-S2.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1491-S2.PL.htm)
4. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/House%20Bills/1491-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#21) — **95–1** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#3) — **87–10** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate (#30) — **45–4** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Orcutt — primary (person)
- Berry — cosponsor (person)
- Bronoske — cosponsor (person)
- Chapman — cosponsor (person)
- Pollet — cosponsor (person)
- Tharinger — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-20** First reading, referred to Labor & Workplace Standards. `reading-1`
- **2023-02-08** Public hearing in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-02-15** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-02-15** LAWS - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-17** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-23** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-24** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-24** APP - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-24** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-28** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-02** 2nd substitute bill substituted (APP 23). `substitution`
- **2023-03-02** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-02** Third reading, passed; yeas, 87; nays, 10; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-06** First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-16** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-03-23** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-03-23** LC - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-23** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-24** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-31** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 12:45 PM.
- **2023-04-03** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:00 AM.
- **2023-04-03** WM - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-03** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-04-04** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-04-07** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-04-11** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2023-04-11** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-11** Third reading, passed; yeas, 45; nays, 4; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-13** House concurred in Senate amendments.
- **2023-04-13** Passed final passage; yeas, 95; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 2. `passage`
- **2023-04-14** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-17** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-18** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-04** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-04** Chapter 252, 2023 Laws. `became-law`
- **2023-05-04** Effective date 7/23/2023. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dfc060b0-32c6-4835-bb0d-32d2071666b1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).