DD RHC facilities renaming

AN ACT Relating to renaming certain state residential facilities 1
for persons with developmental disabilities; amending RCW 2
28A.190.005, 28B.30.810, 43.382.801, 71A.20.020, 71A.20.030, 3
71A.20.170, 71A.20.180, 71A.20.191, 71A.20.195, 72.01.050, and 4
72.05.010; and creating new sections. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington 7
maintains a system of residential habilitation centers providing 8
residential habilitative support for primarily adult individuals with 9
developmental disabilities. Services at these facilities include 10
medical and dental treatment, training in daily living skills, 11
nursing services, employment services, and myriad other therapies and 12
supports. Three of the four residential habilitation centers that are 13
currently in use, as well as one former facility, are officially 14
referred to in statute as schools. This does not accurately reflect 15
the primary function or purpose of these facilities.16
Therefore, the legislature intends to officially rename these 17
facilities residential habilitation centers. The legislature does not 18
intend to change the purpose or operations of these facilities in any 19
way by renaming them, nor does it intend for the renaming to have any 20
direct or indirect effect on access to funding for these facilities; 21
H-2518.2
HOUSE BILL 2319
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Farivar, Penner, Reed, Scott, Thomas, and Hill
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & Human Services.
p. 1 HB 2319
rather, it seeks to clarify that these are habilitative facilities, 1
rather than educational institutions, and make the names of the 2
residential habilitation centers consistent on a systemwide basis.3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The following residential habilitation 4
centers are renamed:5
(a) Fircrest school is renamed Fircrest residential habilitation 6
center; 7
(b) Rainier school is renamed Rainier residential habilitation 8
center; and 9
(c) Yakima Valley school is renamed Yakima Valley residential 10
habilitation center. 11
(2) Lakeland Village residential habilitation center will 12
continue to be named Lakeland Village residential habilitation 13
center. 14
(3) References to the former Interlake school will be to 15
Interlake residential habilitation center. 16
(4) Any existing references to Fircrest school, Rainier school, 17
or Yakima Valley school retain full force and effect as would a 18
reference to the updated names as identified in subsection (1) of 19
this section. 20
(5) The department of social and health services shall update 21
rules and make other changes necessary to reflect the current names 22
of the facilities as identified in this section. 23
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.190.005 and 2021 c 164 s 3 are each amended to 24
read as follows: 25
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter 26
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 27
(1) "Institutional education facility" means residential 28
habilitation and child study and treatment centers operated by the 29
department of social and health services, state long-term juvenile 30
institutions operated by the department of children, youth, and 31
families, state-operated community facilities, county juvenile 32
detention centers, and facilities of the department of corrections 33
that incarcerate juveniles committed as adults. 34
(2) "Institutional education program" means the program of 35
education that is provided to youth in institutional education 36
facilities as a mandatory component of the program of basic education 37
under RCW 28A.150.200. 38
p. 2 HB 2319
(3) "Institutional education provider" or "provider" means a 1
school district, educational service district, or other entity 2
providing education services to youth in an institutional education 3
facility. 4
(4) "Postresident youth" means a person who is under the age of 5
21 and a former resident of an institutional education facility. A 6
postresident youth may be a public school student or a person who is 7
eligible to be a public school student but who is not enrolled in a 8
school or otherwise receiving basic education services.9
(5) "Residential school" means the following institutional 10
education facilities: Green Hill school, Naselle Youth Camp, Echo 11
Glen, Lakeland Village residential habilitation center , Rainier 12
((school)) residential habilitation center , Yakima Valley ((school)) 13
residential habilitation center , Fircrest ((school)) residential 14
habilitation center , the Child Study and Treatment Center and 15
Secondary School of western state hospital, and other schools, camps, 16
and centers established by the department of social and health 17
services or the department of children, youth, and families for the 18
diagnosis, confinement, and rehabilitation of juveniles committed by 19
the courts or for the care and treatment of persons who are 20
exceptional in their needs by reason of mental or physical 21
deficiency. "Residential school" does not include the state schools 22
for the blind, the Washington state center for childhood deafness and 23
hearing loss, or adult correctional institutions. 24
(6) "School district" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.315.025 25
and includes any educational service district that has entered into 26
an agreement to provide a program of education for residents at an 27
institutional education facility on behalf of the school district as 28
a cooperative service program pursuant to RCW 28A.310.180.29
(7) "Youth" means a person who is under the age of 21 who is a 30
resident of an institutional education facility. A youth may be a 31
public school student or a person who is eligible to be a public 32
school student but who is not enrolled in a school or otherwise 33
receiving basic education services. 34
Sec. 4. RCW 28B.30.810 and 1988 c 57 s 1 are each amended to 35
read as follows: 36
(1) Washington State University shall establish and operate a 37
dairy/forage and agricultural research facility at the Rainier 38
((school)) residential habilitation center farm. 39
p. 3 HB 2319
(2) Local funds generated through operation of this facility 1
shall be managed in a revolving fund, established herewith, by the 2
university. This fund shall consist of all moneys received in 3
connection with the operation of the facility and any moneys 4
appropriated to the fund by law. Disbursements from the revolving 5
fund shall be on authorization of the president of the university or 6
the president's designee. In order to maintain an effective 7
expenditure and revenue control, this fund, to be known as the dairy/8
forage facility revolving fund, shall be subject in all respects to 9
chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required to permit 10
expenditures and payment of obligations from the fund.11
(3) In the event state funding is not sufficient to operate the 12
dairy cattle herd, the university is authorized to lease the herd, 13
together with the land necessary to maintain the same, for such 14
period and upon such terms as the university board of regents shall 15
deem proper. 16
Sec. 5. RCW 43.382.801 and 2025 c 410 s 4 are each amended to 17
read as follows: 18
(1) By November 1, 2028, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, 19
the office of the developmental ((disability [disabilities] )) 20
disabilities ombuds shall submit a report to the appropriate 21
committees of the legislature that includes summaries of resident, 22
parent, and guardian feedback regarding transition of residents out 23
of the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center following 24
July 27, 2025. 25
(2) This section expires July 1, 2029. 26
Sec. 6. RCW 71A.20.020 and 2025 c 410 s 1 are each amended to 27
read as follows: 28
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this 29
section, the following residential habilitation centers are 30
permanently established to provide services to persons with 31
developmental disabilities: Lakeland Village residential habilitation 32
center, located at Medical Lake, Spokane county; Rainier ((school)) 33
residential habilitation center , located at Buckley, Pierce county; 34
Yakima Valley ((school)) residential habilitation center , located at 35
Selah, Yakima county; and Fircrest ((school)) residential 36
habilitation center, located at Seattle, King county.37
p. 4 HB 2319
(2) The Yakima Valley ((school)) residential habilitation center, 1
located at Selah, Yakima county, shall cease to operate as a 2
residential habilitation center when the conditions in RCW 3
71A.20.180(1)(a) are met. 4
(3) The Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center , 5
located at Buckley, Pierce county shall cease to operate as a 6
residential habilitation center when the conditions in RCW 7
71A.20.191(5) are met. 8
Sec. 7. RCW 71A.20.030 and 1988 c 176 s 703 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) The secretary may use surplus physical facilities at eastern 11
state hospital as a residential habilitation center, which shall be 12
known as the "Interlake ((School)) residential habilitation center."13
(2) The secretary may designate and select such buildings and 14
facilities and tracts of land at eastern state hospital that are 15
surplus to the needs of the department for ((mentally ill )) persons 16
with developmental disabilities and that are reasonably necessary and 17
adequate for services for persons with developmental disabilities. 18
The secretary shall also designate those buildings, equipment, and 19
facilities which are to be used jointly and mutually by both eastern 20
state hospital and Interlake ((School)) residential habilitation 21
center. 22
Sec. 8. RCW 71A.20.170 and 2020 c 250 s 1 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
(1) The developmental disabilities community services account is 25
created in the state treasury. 26
(2) The following revenues must be deposited in the account:27
(a) All net proceeds from leases or sales of real property, 28
conservation easements, and sales of timber, from the state 29
properties at the Fircrest residential habilitation center, the 30
Lakeland Village residential habilitation center, the Rainier 31
((school)) residential habilitation center , and the Yakima Valley 32
((school)) residential habilitation center . However, real property 33
that is determined by the department of social and health services to 34
be required for the operations of the residential habilitation 35
centers is excluded from the real property that may be leased or sold 36
for the benefit of the account. In addition, real property owned by 37
p. 5 HB 2319
the charitable, educational, penal, and reformatory institutions 1
trust, and revenue therefrom, is excluded; and 2
(b) Any other moneys appropriated or transferred to the account 3
by the legislature. 4
(3) Any sale, lease, or easement under this section must be at 5
fair market value. 6
(4) Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. 7
Expenditures from the account shall be used exclusively for:8
(a) Supports and services in a community setting to benefit 9
eligible persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities; or10
(b) Investment expenses of the state investment board.11
(5) The department of social and health services must solicit 12
recommendations from the Washington state developmental disabilities 13
council regarding expenditure of moneys from the Dan Thompson 14
memorial developmental disabilities community services account for 15
supports and services in a community setting to benefit eligible 16
persons with developmental disabilities. 17
(6) Expenditures from the account must supplement, and may not 18
replace, supplant, or reduce current state expenditure levels for 19
supports and services in the community setting for eligible persons 20
with developmental disabilities. 21
(7)(a) The state investment board must invest moneys in the 22
account. The state investment board has the full power to invest, 23
reinvest, manage, contract, sell, or exchange investment money in the 24
account. All investment and operating costs associated with the 25
investment of money shall be paid under RCW 43.33A.160 and 43.84.160.26
(b) All investments made by the state investment board shall be 27
made with the degree of judgment and care required under RCW 28
43.33A.140 and the investment policy established by the state 29
investment board. 30
(c) The state investment board shall routinely consult and 31
communicate with the department of social and health services and the 32
legislature on the investment policy, earnings of the account, and 33
related needs of the account. 34
(8) The account shall be known as the Dan Thompson memorial 35
developmental disabilities community services account.36
Sec. 9. RCW 71A.20.180 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 19 s 1 are each 37
amended to read as follows: 38
p. 6 HB 2319
(1)(a) The Yakima Valley ((school)) residential habilitation 1
center shall continue to operate as a residential habilitation center 2
until such time that the census of permanent residents has reached 3
eight persons. Upon such time as the facility closes to full 4
residential care, the facility must thereafter operate crisis 5
stabilization beds and only so many respite service beds as the needs 6
of the department-identified catchment area or as emergency placement 7
needs require, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated 8
for this specific purpose. 9
(b) As of October 19, 2017, no new long-term admissions are 10
permitted. 11
(2) The department, within available funds: 12
(a) Shall establish state-operated living alternatives, within 13
funds specifically provided in the omnibus appropriations act, to 14
provide community residential services to residential habilitation 15
center residents transitioning to the community under chapter 30, 16
Laws of 2011 1st sp. sess. who prefer a state-operated living 17
alternative. The department shall offer residential habilitation 18
center employees opportunities to work in state-operated living 19
alternatives as they are established; 20
(b) May use existing supported living program capacity in the 21
community for former residential habilitation center residents who 22
prefer and choose a supported living program; 23
(c) Shall establish up to eight state-staffed crisis 24
stabilization beds and up to eight state-staffed respite beds based 25
upon funding provided in the omnibus appropriations act and the 26
geographic areas with the greatest need for those services;27
(d) Shall establish regional or mobile specialty services evenly 28
distributed throughout the state, such as dental care, physical 29
therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized nursing care, which 30
can be made available to former residents of residential habilitation 31
centers and, within available funds, other individuals with 32
developmental disabilities residing in the community; and33
(e) Shall continue to provide respite services in residential 34
habilitation centers and continue to develop respite care in the 35
community. 36
Sec. 10. RCW 71A.20.191 and 2025 c 410 s 2 are each amended to 37
read as follows: 38
p. 7 HB 2319
(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, as 1
of July 27, 2025, no new long-term admissions are permitted at the 2
Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center , located at 3
Buckley, Pierce county. 4
(b) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, as of 5
June 30, 2027, no admissions of any kind are permitted at the Rainier 6
((school)) residential habilitation center , located at Buckley, 7
Pierce county. 8
(2) Until the conditions in subsection (5) of this section are 9
met, a former long-term resident of the Rainier ((school)) 10
residential habilitation center who moves to a community-based 11
setting after July 27, 2025, shall be offered the right to return to 12
the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center once during 13
the first year following their move to the community and this shall 14
not be considered a new admission for purposes of subsection (1) of 15
this section. If a former resident of the Rainier ((school)) 16
residential habilitation center exercises the right to return 17
established in this subsection (2), any additional request to return 18
to the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center after a 19
second move to the community shall be reviewed by the department and 20
must be approved by the secretary, based on the recommendation from a 21
multidisciplinary care team. In addition to the right to return 22
established in this subsection (2), any former resident of the 23
Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center maintains the 24
right to return to a residential habilitation center established in 25
RCW 71A.18.040 and the right to residential habilitation center 26
services when determined eligible. 27
(3)(a) The department shall: 28
(i) Provide state-operated living alternatives to residential 29
habilitation center residents transitioning to the community from the 30
Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center who prefer a 31
state-operated community residential service; 32
(ii) Use supported living program and adult family home capacity 33
in the community for residents of the Rainier ((school)) residential 34
habilitation center who prefer and choose these settings;35
(iii) Provide space at other residential habilitation centers to 36
residents of the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center 37
who prefer a different residential habilitation center setting; and38
p. 8 HB 2319
(iv) Offer employees of the Rainier ((school)) residential 1
habilitation center opportunities to work in state-operated living 2
alternatives and other state facilities and programs.3
(b) Sufficient funding shall be appropriated to the department to 4
fulfill the requirements of this subsection (3). 5
(4) When assisting individuals who are transitioning out of the 6
Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center the department 7
shall: 8
(a) Offer each individual resident a meaningful choice of 9
appropriate alternative placements; 10
(b) Prioritize client choice, autonomy, individual preferences, 11
medical and behavioral health care needs, and opportunities for 12
community integration; 13
(c) Develop individualized transition plans in collaboration with 14
each resident and their family or legal guardian, caregivers, and 15
support providers; 16
(d) Coordinate closely with other state agencies, local entities, 17
health care providers, and community stakeholders to ensure seamless 18
transitions; 19
(e) Provide or contract for all necessary assessments, planning, 20
relocation expenses, housing modifications, staff training, crisis 21
support, and related transition activities; and 22
(f) Implement robust oversight and accountability measures 23
related to the transitions, and regularly monitor transition 24
outcomes, as well as individual well-being and satisfaction.25
(5) The Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center , 26
located at Buckley, Pierce county shall continue to operate as a 27
residential habilitation center until such time that the census of 28
long-term residents has reached zero persons. 29
(6) "Closure" for purposes of chapter 410, Laws of 2025 means 30
prohibiting new admissions as described in subsection (1) of this 31
section. 32
Sec. 11. RCW 71A.20.195 and 2025 c 410 s 3 are each amended to 33
read as follows: 34
(1) The department of social and health services shall, in 35
compliance with RCW 43.01.036, submit a report to the appropriate 36
committees of the legislature on December 1, 2025, June 1, 2026, 37
December 1, 2026, June 1, 2027, June 1, 2028, and annually thereafter 38
p. 9 HB 2319
that provides the information described in subsection (2) of this 1
section. 2
(2) The report required under subsection (1) of this section must 3
include the following: 4
(a) A point in time description of the capacity for all 5
residential settings for clients of the developmental disabilities 6
administration within the department of social and health services;7
(b) The number of former residents who have transitioned out of 8
the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center after July 27, 9
2025, and the type of setting that the person transitioned to, 10
including additional transitions from the initial placement;11
(c) The number of deaths of former residents who have 12
transitioned out of the Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation 13
center after July 27, 2025, and into other residential settings 14
supported by the developmental disabilities administration;15
(d) The geographic distribution of residential placements across 16
all existing residential placements for clients of the developmental 17
disabilities administration within the department of social and 18
health services; and 19
(e) Information regarding former Rainier ((school)) residential 20
habilitation center employees who have transitioned to other state 21
employment, left the industry, or transitioned to private sector 22
employment after July 27, 2025. 23
(3) This section expires July 1, 2030. 24
Sec. 12. RCW 72.01.050 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 628 are each 25
amended to read as follows: 26
(1) The secretary of social and health services shall have full 27
power to manage and govern the following public institutions: The 28
western state hospital, the eastern state hospital, the northern 29
state hospital, Lakeland Village residential habilitation center, the 30
Rainier ((school)) residential habilitation center , and such other 31
institutions as authorized by law, subject only to the limitations 32
contained in laws relating to the management of such institutions.33
(2) The secretary of corrections shall have full power to manage, 34
govern, and name all state correctional facilities, subject only to 35
the limitations contained in laws relating to the management of such 36
institutions. 37
(3) If any state correctional facility is fully or partially 38
destroyed by natural causes or otherwise, the secretary of 39
p. 10 HB 2319
corrections may, with the approval of the governor, provide for the 1
establishment and operation of additional residential correctional 2
facilities to place those inmates displaced by such destruction. 3
However, such additional facilities may not be established if there 4
are existing residential correctional facilities to which all of the 5
displaced inmates can be appropriately placed. The establishment and 6
operation of any additional facility shall be on a temporary basis, 7
and the facility may not be operated beyond July 1 of the year 8
following the year in which it was partially or fully destroyed.9
(4) The secretary of the department of children, youth, and 10
families shall have full power to manage and govern Echo Glen, the 11
Green Hill school, and such other institutions as authorized by law, 12
subject only to the limitations contained in laws relating to the 13
management of such institutions. 14
Sec. 13. RCW 72.05.010 and 2020 c 274 s 54 are each amended to 15
read as follows: 16
(1) The purposes of this section and RCW ((72.05.010)) 72.05.020 17
through 72.05.210 are: To provide for every child with behavior 18
problems, persons with disabilities, and hearing and visually 19
impaired children, within the purview of this section and RCW 20
((72.05.010)) 72.05.020 through 72.05.210, as now or hereafter 21
amended, such care, guidance and instruction, control and treatment 22
as will best serve the welfare of the child or person and society; to 23
insure nonpolitical and qualified operation, supervision, management, 24
and control of the Green Hill school, the Naselle Youth Camp, Echo 25
Glen, Lakeland Village residential habilitation center , Rainier 26
((school)) residential habilitation center , the Yakima Valley 27
((school)) residential habilitation center , Fircrest ((school)) 28
residential habilitation center, the Child Study and Treatment Center 29
and Secondary School of western state hospital, and like residential 30
state schools, camps, and centers hereafter established; and to 31
provide for the persons committed or admitted to those schools and 32
centers that type of care, instruction, and treatment most likely to 33
accomplish their rehabilitation and restoration to normal 34
citizenship. 35
(2) To further such purposes, Green Hill School, Echo Glen, 36
Naselle Youth Camp, and such other juvenile rehabilitation 37
facilities, as may hereafter be established, are placed under the 38
department of children, youth, and families; Lakeland Village 39
p. 11 HB 2319
residential habilitation center , Rainier ((school)) residential 1
habilitation center , the Yakima Valley ((school)) residential 2
habilitation center , Fircrest ((school)) residential habilitation 3
center, the Child Study and Treatment Center and Secondary School of 4
western state hospital, and like residential state schools, camps, 5
and centers, hereafter established, are placed under the department 6
of social and health services. 7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. If any part of this act is found to be in 8
conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to 9
the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of 10
this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with 11
respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not 12
affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application 13
to the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet 14
federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of 15
federal funds by the state.16
--- END ---
p. 12 HB 2319