Strippers' bill of rights one step closer to becoming law in Washington state

A bill that would grant strippers’ some of the broadest workplace protections in the country cleared a key hurdle Tuesday on its way to becoming law in Washington state.

The so-called “Strippers’ Bill of Rights” previously passed the state Senate. It passed the state House on Tuesday, and now heads back to the Senate for a final vote before landing on Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. Activists fighting for the legislation are confident the governor will sign the final bill.

RELATED: Strippers say Washington state is terrible for dancing. They want a 'bill of rights' to fix that

“I’m just so happy and relieved that this bill is passed,” said Madison Zack-Wu, campaign manager for the advocacy group Strippers Are Workers. “I deeply believe and trust that our industry will change for the better. The largest reason I believe that is because this bill was created by dancers, for dancers based on our experiential knowledge and understanding of what we need.”

The bill requires strip clubs to have a security guard on duty, mandates all employees go through sexual harassment and safety training, and requires other safety measures like locker-room key pads and panic buttons. It also caps the fees club owners can charge dancers to 30% of their earnings in a shift or $150 per night and forbids them from charging interest on overdue fees.

Those fees are standard in the industry. Dancers pay to “rent” the stage in the same way hairdressers rent their chairs in salons. But dancers say fees are more than double in Washington than other states, and often exceed the income they’re able to make in a night.

They blame Washington’s prohibition on alcohol in strip clubs for the higher fees. It’s the only state in the country with a complete ban on alcohol, because of a Liquor and Cannabis Board rule that details types of “lewd conduct” that are banned in establishments that hold liquor licenses.

RELATED: Washington Strippers want a bill of rights (Seattle Now)

The original bill would have entirely repealed the lewd conduct rule and directed the board to issue liquor licenses to strip clubs that comply with the workplace safety standards. But the bill was amended through the legislative process so that it just modifies the rule, while leaving parts of it intact.

The latest version of the legislation strikes down the part of the rule that bans nudity and sexual conduct at clubs that serve alcohol, but doesn’t explicitly direct the board to start issuing liquor licenses to strip clubs.

A spokesperson for the Liquor and Cannabis Board said without a clear directive from the Legislature, issuing liquor licenses to strip clubs could expose the board to legal liability. Activists from the stripper and LGBTQ communities are still fighting for a full repeal of the rule, and the board has agreed to consider it. LBGTQ rights advocates joined the fight after several queer bars were inspected last month and warned about violations of the nudity rule.

RELATED: Liquor Board pauses ‘lewd’ conduct enforcement, participation with Seattle cops