---
type: "Bill"
title: "Concerning postretirement employment in nursing positions for a state agency."
description: "Concerning postretirement employment in nursing positions for a state agency."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 5538"
citation: "Washington SB 5538 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cleveland"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-23"
last_action: "2023-04-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/56e0d63a-167c-4297-9f27-b3a60047f56a"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5538&year=2023"
source_hash: "514c4e2490cb37f3fb8404703d3ea5b2189d7d7b905e091dd5a338ec5a8db6e8"
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 5538 (2023-2024) — Concerning postretirement employment in nursing positions for a state agency.

## 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/Senate%20Bills/5538.htm)
2. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5538-S.htm)
3. **Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5538-S.PL.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#21) — **87–11** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#21) — **41–7** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Cleveland — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-23** First reading, referred to Ways & Means. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-30** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-02-07** Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-02-14** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-02-14** WM - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-14** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-14** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-02-15** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-02-22** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-06** 1st substitute bill substituted (WM 23). `substitution`
- **2023-03-06** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-06** Third reading, passed; yeas, 41; nays, 7; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-08** First reading, referred to Appropriations. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-16** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-03-23** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
- **2023-03-23** APP - Majority; do pass. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-23** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-03-28** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-03** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-04-05** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-05** Third reading, passed; yeas, 87; nays, 11; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-06** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-07** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-11** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-04-14** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-14** Chapter 99, 2023 Laws. `became-law`
- **2023-04-14** Effective date 4/14/2023. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/56e0d63a-167c-4297-9f27-b3a60047f56a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).