APS caseload forecasting

AN ACT Relating to caseload forecasting for adult protective 1
services; and reenacting and amending RCW 43.88C.010.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 43.88C.010 and 2023 c 420 s 4, 2023 c 345 s 1, and 4
2023 c 244 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:5
(1) The caseload forecast council is hereby created. The council 6
shall consist of two individuals appointed by the governor and four 7
individuals, one of whom is appointed by the chairperson of each of 8
the two largest political caucuses in the senate and house of 9
representatives. The chair of the council shall be selected from 10
among the four caucus appointees. The council may select such other 11
officers as the members deem necessary. 12
(2) The council shall employ a caseload forecast supervisor to 13
supervise the preparation of all caseload forecasts. As used in this 14
chapter, "supervisor" means the caseload forecast supervisor.15
(3) Approval by an affirmative vote of at least five members of 16
the council is required for any decisions regarding employment of the 17
supervisor. Employment of the supervisor shall terminate after each 18
term of three years. At the end of the first year of each three-year 19
term the council shall consider extension of the supervisor's term by 20
one year. The council may fix the compensation of the supervisor. The 21
H-3185.1
HOUSE BILL 2678
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representative Rule
Read first time 01/27/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2678
supervisor shall employ staff sufficient to accomplish the purposes 1
of this section. 2
(4) The caseload forecast council shall oversee the preparation 3
of and approve, by an affirmative vote of at least four members, the 4
official state caseload forecasts prepared under RCW 43.88C.020. If 5
the council is unable to approve a forecast before a date required in 6
RCW 43.88C.020, the supervisor shall submit the forecast without 7
approval and the forecast shall have the same effect as if approved 8
by the council. 9
(5) A councilmember who does not cast an affirmative vote for 10
approval of the official caseload forecast may request, and the 11
supervisor shall provide, an alternative forecast based on 12
assumptions specified by the member. 13
(6) Members of the caseload forecast council shall serve without 14
additional compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses 15
in accordance with RCW 44.04.120 while attending sessions of the 16
council or on official business authorized by the council. 17
Nonlegislative members of the council shall be reimbursed for travel 18
expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.19
(7) "Caseload," as used in this chapter, means:20
(a) The number of persons expected to meet entitlement 21
requirements and require the services of public assistance programs, 22
state correctional institutions, state correctional noninstitutional 23
supervision, state institutions for juvenile offenders, the common 24
school system, long-term care, medical assistance, foster care, and 25
adoption support; 26
(b) The number of students who are eligible for the Washington 27
college bound scholarship program and are expected to attend an 28
institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.92.030;29
(c) The number of students who are eligible for the Washington 30
college grant program under RCW 28B.92.200 and 28B.92.205 and are 31
expected to attend an institution of higher education as defined in 32
RCW 28B.92.030; 33
(d) The number of children who are eligible, as defined in RCW 34
43.216.505, to participate in, and the number of children actually 35
served by, the early childhood education and assistance program; and36
(e) Beginning with the first official forecast after July 23, 37
2023, the number of people eligible for the working families' tax 38
credit under RCW 82.08.0206. The total number of people eligible for 39
the working families' tax credit should include: 40
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(i) The number of eligible people with no qualifying children;1
(ii) The number of eligible people with one qualifying child;2
(iii) The number of eligible people with two qualifying children; 3
and 4
(iv) The number of eligible people with three or more qualifying 5
children. 6
(8) The caseload forecast council shall forecast the temporary 7
assistance for needy families and the working connections child care 8
programs as a courtesy. 9
(9) By January 1, 2023, the caseload forecast council shall 10
present the number of individuals who are assessed as eligible for 11
and have requested a service through the individual and family 12
services waiver and the basic plus waiver administered by the 13
developmental disabilities administration as a courtesy. The caseload 14
forecast council shall be presented with the service request list as 15
defined in RCW 71A.10.020 to aid in development of this information.16
(10) Beginning with the official forecast submitted in November 17
2022 and subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 18
specific purpose, the caseload forecast council shall forecast the 19
number of individuals who are assessed as eligible for and have 20
requested supported living services, a service through the core 21
waiver, an individual and family services waiver, and the basic plus 22
waiver administered by the developmental disabilities administration 23
as a courtesy. The caseload forecast council shall be presented with 24
the service request list as defined in RCW 71A.10.020 to aid in 25
development of this information. 26
(11) As a courtesy, beginning with the official forecast 27
submitted in November 2022, the caseload forecast council shall 28
forecast the number of individuals who are expected to reside in 29
state-operated living alternatives administered by the developmental 30
disabilities administration. 31
(12) The caseload forecast council shall forecast youth 32
participating in the extended foster care program pursuant to RCW 33
74.13.031 separately from other children who are residing in foster 34
care and who are under eighteen years of age. 35
(13) The caseload forecast council shall forecast the number of 36
youth expected to receive behavioral rehabilitation services while 37
involved in the foster care system and the number of screened in 38
reports of child abuse or neglect. 39
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(14) The caseload forecast council shall forecast the number of 1
individuals who are functionally and financially eligible for 2
medicaid waiver services administered by the developmental 3
disabilities administration who also meet the criteria outlined in 4
RCW 71A.12.370 and are expected to utilize a medicaid waiver service.5
(15) The caseload forecast council shall forecast eligible 6
children participating in the transition to kindergarten program 7
under RCW 28A.300.072. 8
(16) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the 9
definitions provided in RCW 43.88.020 apply to this chapter.10
(17) During the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, and beginning with the 11
November 2021 forecast, the caseload forecast council shall produce 12
an unofficial forecast of the long-term caseload for juvenile 13
rehabilitation as a courtesy. 14
(18) The caseload forecast council shall forecast the following 15
related to the adult protective services system under chapter 74.34 16
RCW:17
(a) The number of adults participating in, or expected to 18
receive, adult protective services while involved in the adult 19
protective services system;20
(b) The number of screened-in reports of abuse or neglect 21
involving vulnerable adults that are accepted for investigation or 22
assessment, including the type of case and the level of 23
prioritization;24
(c) The number of reports outside of the system's jurisdiction;25
(d) The number of duplicate cases reported;26
(e) The number of repeat perpetrators; and27
(f) The number of cases referred to law enforcement.28
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