WC child care/grad. students

AN ACT Relating to increasing access to the working connections 1
child care program for graduate and professional students; amending 2
RCW 43.216.804; reenacting and amending RCW 43.216.802; and adding a 3
new section to chapter 43.216 RCW. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
(1) An applicant or consumer is eligible for working connections 8
child care when the applicant or consumer is enrolled full-time in a 9
graduate or professional program at an institution of higher 10
education and: 11
(a) The applicant or consumer's household annual income is at or 12
below 85 percent of the state median income adjusted for family size;13
(b) The child receiving care is (i) less than 13 years of age; or 14
(ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 15
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and16
(c) The applicant or consumer's household meets all other program 17
eligibility requirements established in this chapter or in rule by 18
the department as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any 19
other authority granted by this chapter. 20
H-1162.1
HOUSE BILL 1873
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Zahn, Parshley, Berry, Reed, Fosse, Mena, Scott,
Nance, Cortes, Thai, Simmons, Salahuddin, Obras, Pollet, Hill,
Timmons, and Duerr
Read first time 02/06/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
Human Services.
p. 1 HB 1873
(2) An applicant or consumer is enrolled full-time for the 1
purposes of this section if the applicant or consumer meets the 2
institution of higher education's definition of a full-time student.3
(3) Applicants and consumers qualifying for working connections 4
child care under this section qualify for full-time care. The 5
department must consider an applicant or consumer's enrollment as a 6
full-time student in a graduate or professional program at an 7
institution of higher education as an approved activity when 8
determining eligibility for working connections child care benefits 9
under this section. 10
(4) In two-parent households, the availability of the other 11
parent may not be considered when authorizing care.12
(5) The department must waive the copayment to the extent 13
allowable under federal law; otherwise, a maximum of $15 may be 14
imposed for any applicant or consumer that meets the requirements 15
under this section. 16
Sec. 2. RCW 43.216.802 and 2024 c 225 s 1 and 2024 c 67 s 2 are 17
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 18
(1) It is the intent of the legislature to increase working 19
families' access to affordable, high quality child care and to 20
support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the 21
statewide economy. 22
(2) A family is eligible for working connections child care when 23
the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state 24
median income adjusted for family size and: 25
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 26
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 27
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and28
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 29
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 30
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 31
granted by this chapter. 32
(3) Beginning July 1, 2025, a family is eligible for working 33
connections child care when the household's annual income is above 60 34
percent and at or below 75 percent of the state median income 35
adjusted for family size and: 36
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 37
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 38
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and39
p. 2 HB 1873
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 1
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 2
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 3
granted by this chapter. 4
(4) Beginning July 1, 2027, and subject to the availability of 5
amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a family is eligible 6
for working connections child care when the household's annual income 7
is above 75 percent of the state median income and is at or below 85 8
percent of the state median income adjusted for family size and:9
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 10
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 11
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and12
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 13
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 14
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 15
granted by this chapter. 16
(5) Beginning November 1, 2024, when an applicant or consumer is 17
a member of an assistance unit that is eligible for or receiving 18
basic food benefits under the federal supplemental nutrition 19
assistance program or the state food assistance program the 20
department must determine that the household income eligibility 21
requirements in this section are met. 22
(6) The department must adopt rules to implement this section, 23
including an income phase-out eligibility period. 24
(7) The department may not consider the citizenship status of an 25
applicant or consumer's child when determining eligibility for 26
working connections child care benefits. 27
(8) The income eligibility requirements in subsections (2) 28
through (4) of this section do not apply to households eligible for 29
the working connections child care program under RCW 43.216.808, 30
43.216.810, 43.216.812, ((and)) 43.216.814, and section 1 of this 31
act. 32
Sec. 3. RCW 43.216.804 and 2024 c 67 s 3 are each amended to 33
read as follows: 34
(1) Effective until July 1, 2025, the department must calculate a 35
monthly copayment according to the following schedule:36
37 If the household's income is: Then the household's maximum monthly copayment is:
p. 3 HB 1873
1
2
At or below 20 percent of the state median income Waived to the extent allowable under federal law;
otherwise, a maximum of $15
3
4
Above 20 percent and at or below 36 percent of the state
median income
$65
5
6
Above 36 percent and at or below 50 percent of the state
median income
$90
7
8
Above 50 percent and at or below 60 percent of the state
median income
$165
(2) Beginning July 1, 2025, the department must calculate a 9
monthly copayment according to the following schedule:10
11 If the household's income is: Then the household's maximum monthly copayment is:
12
13
At or below 20 percent of the state median income Waived to the extent allowable under federal law;
otherwise, a maximum of $15
14
15
Above 20 percent and at or below 36 percent of the state
median income
$65
16
17
Above 36 percent and at or below 50 percent of the state
median income
$90
18
19
Above 50 percent and at or below 60 percent of the state
median income
$165
20
21
Above 60 percent and at or below 75 percent of the state
median income
$215
(3) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 22
specific purpose, the department shall adopt a copayment model for 23
households with annual incomes above 75 percent of the state median 24
income and at or below 85 percent of the state median income. The 25
model must calculate a copayment for each household that is no 26
greater than seven percent of the household's countable income within 27
this income range. 28
(4) The department may adjust the copayment schedule to comply 29
with federal law. 30
(5) The department must adopt rules to implement this section.31
(6) This section does not apply to households eligible for the 32
working connections child care program under RCW 43.216.808, 33
43.216.812, ((and)) 43.216.814, and section 1 of this act.34
--- END ---
p. 4 HB 1873