SEATTLE — A ban on cosmetics that have been tested on animals. A new hate crime hotline. A (slightly) expanded paid sick leave program. A response to the deadly 2019 crane collapse in Seattle. Free driver's licenses for people released from prison.

These are among 15 recently passed state laws set to go into effect in Washington on Jan. 1, 2025.

Many of the new laws range from picayune to esoteric, affecting only a tiny portion of the population — are you a physician assistant with more than 20,000 hours of postgraduate clinical work who lives in a rural or underserved area? If so, listen up.

But all these changes in law affect someone. And, take a step back, many of these obscure changes will affect thousands, maybe millions of people who will never know it.

Maybe you're a patient of the aforementioned physician assistant, who can now practice more freely.

Maybe you'll never work on a tower crane. But you'll probably walk under one.

The law, like a tower crane, casts a long shadow.

Some other changes going into effect Jan. 1 aren't the result of new laws. The statewide minimum wage is rising to $16.66 an hour (it will be over $20 in Seattle, unincorporated King County and several other cities), and rules about who is eligible for overtime and for noncompete agreements are changing as older laws are updated for inflation.

Here's a rundown of some of the new laws set to take effect in Washington on Wednesday.

Paid sick leave expansion

Employers in Washington have to offer paid sick leave — one hour for each week you work. Employees can use it for a paid day off when they're sick or when a family member is sick.

The new law makes it a little easier to use your sick leave. You can now use it to care for anyone who lives in your home (not just a family member), if the person depends on your care. You can also use a paid sick day if your kid's school is closed for an emergency.

This was among the most contentious of the new laws — it passed the state Senate in February on a party-line vote, with all Republicans opposed.

Tower cranes

In 2019, a 278-foot tower crane in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood collapsed while workers were taking it apart, killing two ironworkers and two people on the street below.

In the aftermath, the state investigated five companies — the general contractor for the site, the owner of the crane, the operator of the crane and two companies involved in disassembling the crane.

Cranes must be inspected when they are set up, but there was no requirement for companies to notify the state or undergo an inspection when disassembling a crane.

The new law requires a permit for any work involving a tower crane, including disassembly. It also authorizes new rules around assembling and taking apart cranes and for street closures around cranes.

Animal testing for makeup

Cosmetics are optional. Animal testing shouldn't be used unless necessary. So goes the logic behind Washington's new ban on selling cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

The law is only a ban on new testing — if a product was tested on animals before Jan. 1, it's still OK to sell it here. There are also exceptions for products that use such testing to comply with federal or international law.

Washington is the 12th state to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals, according to The Humane Society of the United States. Forty-five countries have similar laws.

Defibrillators and power lines

Mark this one down as potentially extremely impactful for a small number of people.

The law requires that companies doing work on or around high-voltage lines make defibrillators accessible to their workers. It passed unanimously.

Hate crime hotline

This law requires the attorney general to set up a hotline to help victims of possible hate crimes and noncriminal bias incidents. But while the law will be on the books Jan. 1, the hotline isn't up and running.

A pilot version of the hotline will be operational in King, Clark and Spokane counties by July. It will expand statewide by 2027.

The hotline is meant to offer support and referrals to victims, and to collect anonymized data and information on hate crimes in the state.

This was the most contentious of the new laws, passing on party-line votes in both the state House and Senate, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed.

Supporters argued that many hate crimes go unreported and police don't collect data on bias incidents. Opponents argued that hate crimes should be handled by the police.

Negligent driving

This law stiffens penalties, including possible jail time, for negligent driving, which previously was often treated more like a speeding ticket.

It creates a new crime, Negligent Driving with a Vulnerable User Victim, with up to a year in jail for negligent driving that leads to the death of a pedestrian or bicyclist. The law passed unanimously in both houses of the Legislature.

ID cards upon release

The Department of Corrections and state hospitals, starting Jan. 1, have to provide a driver's license or state ID card to people before their release or discharge.

State budget officials estimated the cost of the new law at about $425,000 a year, but proponents argued the costs are minuscule if having a state-issued ID can ease reentry and reduce recidivism.

HIV drugs

This law aims to improve access to PEP drugs, which can prevent infection if taken immediately after potential exposure to HIV.

It prohibits most insurance plans from imposing cost sharing or pre-authorization requirements for PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) drugs. It also requires hospitals to adopt policies for dispensing the drugs.

The law passed unanimously.

Voters pamphlets

This one's a minor loss for Tim Eyman.

For local ballot measures, the voters pamphlet includes statements in support and in opposition to the measure.

The new law requires that anyone writing the support or opposition statements must live in the city, county or jurisdiction covered by the ballot measure.

Eyman, the anti-tax activist, has frequently written opposition statements for tax increases on local ballots. He was the only person to speak against the legislation at two state House committee hearings.

Physician assistant rules

We know you've been waiting for it: Here's the scoop on Washington's new rules on physician assistant collaboration.

During the pandemic, emergency rules allowed physician assistants to practice with less supervision from a doctor. This law intends to make those changes permanent, to address shortages of primary care providers, especially in rural areas. It will allow physician assistants to more freely provide care, with the collaboration (rather than the supervision) of doctors.

Physician assistants still must be under a doctor's supervision until they have 4,000 hours of experience. After that they no longer need direct supervision, only a "collaborative agreement" with a doctor. In underserved areas, the most experienced physician assistants will have even more autonomy in how they practice.

©2025 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.