State and federal family leave laws allow workers to take a certain amount of unpaid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child, to care for seriously ill family members, or if a personal medical condition renders employees unable to work. What our laws in Washington don’t provide for is any time to attend a child’s educational activities, such as parent-teacher conferences, which tend to be scheduled during work days.

HB 2444, sponsored by Rep. Brendan Williams (D-Olympia), would have provided up to four hours of unpaid leave during any 12-month period to participate in a child’s educational activities. The time off would have to be mutually agreed upon by the employer and employee, and the employer would have to be given sufficient notice. North Carolina has this law. Illinois provides 8 hours a year. D.C. provides 24 hours per year. California provides 8 hours per month.

Opposed by business lobbying groups, the bill passed the House, 54-40, largely along party lines. Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) sided with Democrats in voting "yes," while Rep. Fred Finn (D-Belfair), Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup), Larry Seaquist (D-Gig Harbor), and Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver), sided with Republicans in voting "no."

HB 2444 passed the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee but got hung up in Senate Rules and the Democratic leadership never brought it to a floor vote.