---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures."
description: "Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "HB 1656"
citation: "Washington HB 1656 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Schmidt"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-30"
last_action: "2023-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0bd60c87-c3a4-4fbe-b05c-f1cd5ce40ccc"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1656&year=2023"
source_hash: "78dc292daab38f5af994dbe099650d318fe6402b805980d04d0802876e49cd28"
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 1656 (2023-2024) — Concerning unemployment insurance benefits appeal procedures.

## 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/1656.htm)
2. **Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1656.PL.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#7) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#21) — **48–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Schmidt — primary (person)
- Berry — cosponsor (person)
- Christian — cosponsor (person)
- Fosse — cosponsor (person)
- Ormsby — cosponsor (person)
- Riccelli — cosponsor (person)
- Robertson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-30** 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.
- **2023-02-14** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-02-14** LAWS - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-02-16** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-22** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-04** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-04** Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-07** First reading, referred to Labor & Commerce. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-21** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-03-21** LC - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-22** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-03-28** Placed on second reading consent calendar. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-31** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-31** Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-03** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-04** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-07** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-13** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-13** Chapter 85, 2023 Laws. `became-law`
- **2023-04-13** 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/0bd60c87-c3a4-4fbe-b05c-f1cd5ce40ccc`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).