Working conn. child care

AN ACT Relating to expanding access to child care benefits for 1
small business employees and adjusting implementation dates for 2
working connections child care; amending RCW 43.216.810; reenacting 3
and amending RCW 43.216.802; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 4
RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 7
RCW to read as follows: 8
(1) An applicant or consumer is eligible to receive working 9
connections child care benefits for the care of one or more eligible 10
children when: 11
(a) The applicant or household member is employed by a small 12
business; 13
(b) The applicant or consumer's household annual income adjusted 14
for family size does not exceed 75 percent of the state median income 15
at the time of application, or, beginning July 1, 2031, does not 16
exceed 85 percent of the state median income if funds are 17
appropriated for the purpose of RCW 43.216.802(4);18
(c) The child receiving care is (i) less than 13 years of age, or 19
(ii) less than 19 years of age and either has a verified special need 20
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and21
Z-0345.1
HOUSE BILL 1865
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Bergquist, Couture, Eslick, Reed, Nance,
Salahuddin, Obras, Pollet, and Timmons; by request of Governor
Ferguson
Read first time 02/06/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
Human Services.
p. 1 HB 1865
(d) The household meets all other program eligibility 1
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 2
in accordance with RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065, and 43.216.800.3
(2) The department must adopt a copayment model for benefits 4
granted under this section, which must align with any copayment 5
identified or adopted for households with the same income level under 6
RCW 43.216.804. 7
(3) For the purposes of this section "small business" means any 8
business entity that is owned and operated independently from all 9
other businesses, and that has 50 or fewer employees.10
Sec. 2. RCW 43.216.802 and 2024 c 225 s 1 and 2024 c 67 s 2 are 11
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 12
(1) It is the intent of the legislature to increase working 13
families' access to affordable, high quality child care and to 14
support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the 15
statewide economy. 16
(2) A family is eligible for working connections child care when 17
the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state 18
median income adjusted for family size and: 19
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 20
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 21
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and22
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 23
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 24
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 25
granted by this chapter. 26
(3) Beginning July 1, ((2025)) 2029, a family is eligible for 27
working connections child care when the household's annual income is 28
above 60 percent and at or below 75 percent of the state median 29
income adjusted for family size and: 30
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 31
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 32
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and33
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 34
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 35
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 36
granted by this chapter. 37
(4) Beginning July 1, ((2027)) 2031, and subject to the 38
availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a 39
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family is eligible for working connections child care when the 1
household's annual income is above 75 percent of the state median 2
income and is at or below 85 percent of the state median income 3
adjusted for family size and: 4
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 5
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 6
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and7
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 8
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 9
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 10
granted by this chapter. 11
(5) Beginning November 1, 2024, when an applicant or consumer is 12
a member of an assistance unit that is eligible for or receiving 13
basic food benefits under the federal supplemental nutrition 14
assistance program or the state food assistance program the 15
department must determine that the household income eligibility 16
requirements in this section are met. 17
(6) The department must adopt rules to implement this section, 18
including an income phase-out eligibility period. 19
(7) The department may not consider the citizenship status of an 20
applicant or consumer's child when determining eligibility for 21
working connections child care benefits. 22
(8) The income eligibility requirements in subsections (2) 23
through (4) of this section do not apply to households eligible for 24
the working connections child care program under RCW 43.216.808, 25
43.216.810, 43.216.812, and 43.216.814. 26
Sec. 3. RCW 43.216.810 and 2024 c 67 s 6 are each amended to 27
read as follows: 28
(1) An applicant or consumer is eligible to receive working 29
connections child care benefits for the care of one or more eligible 30
children for the first 12 months of the applicant's or consumer's 31
enrollment in a state registered apprenticeship program under chapter 32
49.04 RCW when: 33
(a) The applicant or consumer's household annual income adjusted 34
for family size does not exceed 75 percent of the state median income 35
at the time of application, or, beginning July 1, ((2027)) 2031, does 36
not exceed 85 percent of the state median income if funds are 37
appropriated for the purpose of RCW 43.216.802(4);38
p. 3 HB 1865
(b) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 1
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and either has a verified special 2
need according to department rule or is under court supervision; and3
(c) The household meets all other program eligibility 4
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 5
in accordance with RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065, and 43.216.800.6
(2) The department must adopt a copayment model for benefits 7
granted under this ((subsection [section])) section, which must align 8
with any copayment identified or adopted for households with the same 9
income level under RCW 43.216.804. 10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate 11
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 12
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 13
effect July 1, 2025.14
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