Supported living cost report

AN ACT Relating to updating the supported living cost report; 1
adding a new section to chapter 74.39A RCW; and providing an 2
expiration date. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 74.39A 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) By July 1, 2026, the department shall update the supported 7
living cost report template to comply with federal law and 8
regulations and to facilitate addressing the direct support 9
professional workforce shortage in the supported living industry.10
(2) The updates to the supported living cost report template must 11
include, but are not limited to: 12
(a) Full-time equivalent employee counts for each type of 13
instruction and support services staff, including for each type of 14
specialist staff; 15
(b) The number of each type of instruction and support services 16
staff, including for each type of specialist staff;17
(c) Annual weighted average base hourly wage by each instruction 18
and support services staff type including by type of specialist 19
staff; 20
H-2862.2
HOUSE BILL 2600
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Farivar, Reed, Simmons, Scott, Pollet, Macri, and
Timmons
Read first time 01/21/26. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
Human Services.
p. 1 HB 2600
(d) Detailed benefit information for each instruction and support 1
services staff type including, but not limited to: 2
(i) Average annual amount of employer portion of medical, dental, 3
vision, and life insurance, disaggregated by type; 4
(ii) Average annual amount of employer contributions to employee 5
retirement benefits; and 6
(iii) Annual amount, in days or hours, of employer-paid time off 7
disaggregated by type including but not limited to sick leave, paid 8
time off, vacation leave, holidays, and bereavement leave; and9
(e) Disaggregated revenue line items including but not limited to 10
revenue by client tier, and any nonmedicaid revenue.11
(3) The department may consult with the work group established in 12
subsection (4) of this section when updating the supported living 13
cost report template. 14
(4)(a) A supported living work group is established, with the 15
following members: 16
(i) The secretary of the department, or the secretary's designee;17
(ii) Three supported living providers, with at least one 18
nonprofit and one for-profit provider, from the top five supported 19
living providers, as determined by the number of medicaid clients 20
served during the previous fiscal year according to the most recent 21
cost report available to the department, appointed by the governor;22
(iii) A representative from an organization not affiliated with a 23
supported living provider representing people with intellectual, 24
developmental, or physical disabilities, appointed by the governor; 25
and 26
(iv) Three representatives, with at least one direct support 27
professional, from the union representing the largest number of 28
direct support professionals under state-contracted services, 29
appointed by the union. 30
(b) The work group shall develop supported living medicaid rate 31
recommendations to promote equitable compensation for direct support 32
professionals. In developing its recommendations, the work group 33
shall consider, at a minimum, requirements on how supported living 34
providers must use the instructional support services rate to improve 35
compensation for direct support professionals. Recommendations may 36
include penalties for providers who fail to demonstrate compliance 37
with recommendations made in this section. 38
(c) The department may contract with a private entity to provide 39
data analysis of the information submitted by work group members as 40
p. 2 HB 2600
necessary to inform the work group's development of wage investment 1
proposals described in (b) of this subsection. 2
(d) The department shall provide administrative and logistical 3
support for the work group, including scheduling, facilitation, and 4
preparation of materials. 5
(e) The department shall issue a final report to the appropriate 6
committees of the legislature by December 1, 2026. The report must 7
include findings and recommendations for direct support professional 8
wage investment proposals described in (b) of this subsection.9
(5) For the purpose of this section: 10
(a) "Direct support professional" means any person who supports 11
an individual with a developmental disability to implement the 12
individual's individual support plan or person-centered service plan. 13
This includes staff who provide instruction and support services. A 14
direct support professional does not include managers or individuals 15
functionally providing above the first level of supervision; and16
(b) "Supported living provider" means any organization providing 17
supported living services as described in RCW 71A.10.020.18
(6) This section expires September 1, 2028. 19
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p. 3 HB 2600