S-0517.1
SENATE BILL 5211
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senators Frame, Harris, Bateman, Christian, Cortes, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Krishnadasan, Lovelett, Nobles, Orwall, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Slatter, Trudeau, Valdez, Wagoner, and C. Wilson
Prefiled 01/09/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
AN ACT Relating to authorizing payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities; amending RCW 71A.12.---; adding new sections to chapter 71A.12 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and providing expiration dates.
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.