Drafter
Clerk 11/05/2026
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to the county’s equality of county employment reporting requirements; and amending Ordinance 12014, Section 18, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.180.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County is a federal grant recipient and receives grants directly from federal government agencies and indirectly through state and local agencies.
2. RCW 49.60.400 prohibits preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, but allows public employers to establish affirmative action plans if required to maintain eligibility under federal grant requirements.
3. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance, published final rules on August 21, 2026, rescinding its requirement that federal contractors develop and implement an affirmative action plan, under Title 41 C.F.R. 60.
4. This ordinance amends K.C.C. 3.12.180 to comply with state and federal requirements for equal employment opportunity.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 12014, Section 18, as amended, and K.C.C. 3.12.180 are hereby amended to read as follows:
A. For purposes of this section:
1. "County work force" means persons employed by King County executive departments; and
2. "Job group" means a grouping of jobs as defined by the United States Department of Labor((;
3. "Labor force availability rate" means the percentage of persons of color or women with requisite job skills in King County as reported by the United States Census Bureau;
4. "Persons of color" means persons in each of the following groups: Blacks; Hispanics; Asian/Pacific Islanders; and Native Americans; and
5. "Placement goal" shall equal the labor force availability rate)).
B. The county is an equal opportunity employer and shall carry out federal, state and local laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of one or more of the protected classes as defined in K.C.C. chapter 3.12D. Furth...
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