ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2319
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By House Early Learning & Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Farivar, Penner, Reed, Scott, Thomas, and Hill)
READ FIRST TIME 01/27/26.
AN ACT Relating to renaming certain state residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities; amending RCW 28A.190.005 , 28B.30.810 , 43.382.801 , 71A.20.020 , 71A.20.030 , 71A.20.170 , 71A.20.180 , 71A.20.191 , 71A.20.195 , 72.01.050 , and 72.05.010 ; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington maintains a system of residential habilitation centers providing residential habilitative support for primarily adult individuals with developmental disabilities. Services at these facilities include medical and dental treatment, training in daily living skills, nursing services, employment services, and myriad other therapies and supports. Three of the four residential habilitation centers that are currently in use, as well as one former facility, are officially referred to in statute as schools. This does not accurately reflect the primary function or purpose of these facilities.
Therefore, the legislature intends to officially rename some of these facilities residential habilitation centers. The legislature does not intend to change the purpose or operations of these facilities in any way by renaming them, nor does it intend for the renaming to have any direct or indirect effect on access to funding for these facilities; rather, it seeks to clarify that these are habilitative facilities, rather than educational institutions, and make the names of the residential habilitation centers consistent with their function.