H-1434.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1200
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Early Learning & Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Taylor, Low, Jacobsen, Alvarado, Ryu, Berry, Mena, Macri, Callan, Obras, Doglio, Fosse, Gregerson, Simmons, Peterson, Goodman, Wylie, Couture, Street, Pollet, Penner, Kloba, Cortes, Nance, Springer, Davis, Leavitt, Scott, Salahuddin, Stonier, and Hill)
READ FIRST TIME 02/18/25.
AN ACT Relating to authorizing payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities; adding a new section to chapter 71A.12 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington has promised to fund home and community-based supports to help children with developmental disabilities grow up as fully included members of their families and communities. The legislature also finds that personal care hours have been allocated to these children on the basis of need, but have historically only been budgeted based on utilization. Efforts to increase the in-home care workforce to meet demand have never produced full employment, and 41 percent of authorized hours systemwide go unused.
The legislature further finds that the unique needs of children to have stable and familiar caregivers are complicated by the current caregiver workforce shortage. Additionally, while the child care crisis has widespread effects on Washington families, it is particularly acute for families of children with disabilities, who often cannot find the highly trained providers to meet their child's needs. Nationwide research has shown that families of children with disabilities often have to forgo income opportunities due to these care needs and that a lack of income has lasting impacts on those children.