OLYMPIA, Wash. — Lawmakers in Olympia are considering House Bill 2382, a proposal that aims to expand death benefits for families of rideshare drivers who are killed while on the job — hoping to fill a crucial gap in current benefits.
In Olympia, the Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards held a public hearing on Tuesday. Since 2020, there have been five rideshare drivers murdered while on the job.
"A lot of drivers are losing their lives,” said Ahmed Mumin with the Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association. "When a rideshare driver is killed, the funeral expenses become a nightmare."
Current Washington state law only provides benefits to rideshare drivers' families if the driver is on a trip, not if they are between trips, said State Rep. Liz Berry.
"Under current law, if a driver is working in between trips, and they are tragically killed their survivors and dependents are not eligible for a workers compensation pension," Berry said. "This bill aims to correct that."
Berry wants to extend benefits to those families impacted tragedies like the one that happened earlier this month in Edmonds.
On Jan. 3, Abdikadir Shariif, 31, was killed in his car near 236th Street Southwest and Edmonds Way. The man suspected of killing Shariif reportedly told police that he had been drinking on the night of the shooting and was deeply sorry for killing the Edmonds rideshare driver, according to court documents.
The union said Shariif had just dropped off a customer one minute before the suspect, who was a pedestrian, shot and killed him.
"So between him getting compensation, and getting funeral expenses paid for, was just one minute,” said Mumin.
He says now a family is left with expenses they can't afford. But the proposed bill is receiving pushback.
Bob Battles with the Association of Washington Business, said he is in opposition of the bill.
“If I am walking out to my car after work or from work but I haven't started employment, I am not covered under workers comp even at the office," he said on Tuesday.