In-home care training

AN ACT Relating to standardizing basic training and certification 1
requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for 2
their family members, including spouses or domestic partners; and 3
amending RCW 18.88B.041 and 74.39A.076. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 18.88B.041 and 2024 c 322 s 1 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) The following long-term care workers are not required to 8
become a certified home care aide pursuant to this chapter:9
(a)(i)(A) Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified 10
nursing assistants or persons who are in an approved training program 11
for certified nursing assistants under chapter 18.88A RCW, medicare-12
certified home health aides, or other persons who hold a similar 13
health credential, as determined by the secretary, or persons with 14
special education training and an endorsement granted by the 15
superintendent of public instruction, as described in RCW 16
28A.300.010, if the secretary determines that the circumstances do 17
not require certification. 18
(B) A person who was initially hired as a long -term care worker 19
prior to January 7, 2012, and who completes all of the training 20
requirements in effect as of the date the person was hired.21
Z-0057.3
SENATE BILL 5100
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Bateman, Conway, Cortes, Hasegawa, Nobles, Saldaña, and
Valdez; by request of Department of Social and Health Services
Prefiled 12/23/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Health & Long-Term Care.
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(ii) Individuals exempted by (a)(i) of this subsection may obtain 1
certification as a home care aide without fulfilling the training 2
requirements in RCW 74.39A.074(1)(d)(ii) but must successfully 3
complete a certification examination pursuant to RCW 18.88B.031.4
(b) All long-term care workers employed by community residential 5
service businesses. 6
(c)(i) ((An individual provider )) A long-term care worker 7
providing in-home care and caring only for the ((individual 8
provider's)) worker's child or parent, including when related by 9
marriage or domestic partnership; ((and))10
(ii) ((An individual provider)) A long-term care worker providing 11
in-home care and caring only for the ((individual provider's )) 12
worker's sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or 13
grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic 14
partnership; and15
(iii) A long-term care worker providing in-home care and caring 16
only for the worker's spouse or domestic partner. 17
(d) A person working as ((an individual provider )) a long-term 18
care worker providing in-home care who provides 20 hours or less of 19
nonrespite care for one person in any calendar month.20
(e) A person working as ((an individual provider )) a long-term 21
care worker providing in-home care who only provides respite services 22
and works less than 300 hours in any calendar year.23
(((f) A long-term care worker providing approved services only 24
for a spouse or registered domestic partner, pursuant to the long-25
term services and supports trust program established in chapter 26
50B.04 RCW.27
(g) A long-term care worker providing approved services only for 28
a spouse or registered domestic partner and funded through the United 29
States department of veterans affairs home and community-based 30
programs.))31
(2) A long-term care worker exempted by this section from the 32
training requirements contained in RCW 74.39A.074 may not be 33
prohibited from enrolling in training pursuant to that section.34
(3) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.35
Sec. 2. RCW 74.39A.076 and 2024 c 322 s 2 are each amended to 36
read as follows: 37
(1) Beginning January 7, 2012, except for long-term care workers 38
exempt from certification under RCW 18.88B.041(1)(a):39
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(a) A parent who is the ((individual provider )) long-term care 1
worker providing in-home care only for the person's developmentally 2
disabled child, including when related by marriage or domestic 3
partnership, must receive 12 hours of training relevant to the needs 4
of individuals with developmental disabilities within the first 120 5
days after becoming ((an individual provider )) a long-term care 6
worker. 7
(b) A spouse or registered domestic partner who is a long-term 8
care worker providing in-home care only for a spouse or domestic 9
partner((, pursuant to the long-term services and supports trust 10
program established in chapter 50B.04 RCW,)) must receive 15 hours of 11
basic training, and at least six hours of additional focused training 12
based on the care-receiving spouse's or partner's needs, within the 13
first 120 days after becoming ((a)) an in-home long-term care worker.14
(c) A person working as ((an individual provider )) a long-term 15
care worker providing in-home care who (i) provides respite care 16
services only for individuals with developmental disabilities 17
receiving services under Title 71A RCW or only for individuals who 18
receive services under this chapter, and (ii) works 300 hours or less 19
in any calendar year, must complete 14 hours of training within the 20
first 120 days after becoming ((an individual provider )) a long-term 21
care worker providing in-home care . Five of the 14 hours must be 22
completed before becoming eligible to provide care, including two 23
hours of orientation training regarding the caregiving role and terms 24
of employment and three hours of safety training. The training 25
partnership identified in RCW 74.39A.360 must offer at least 12 of 26
the 14 hours online, and five of those online hours must be 27
individually selected from elective courses. 28
(d) ((Individual providers)) Long-term care workers identified in 29
(d)(i) or (ii) of this subsection must complete 35 hours of training 30
within the first 120 days after becoming ((an individual provider)) a 31
long-term care worker . Five of the 35 hours must be completed before 32
becoming eligible to provide care. Two of these five hours shall be 33
devoted to an orientation training regarding ((an individual 34
provider's)) a long-term care worker's role as caregiver and the 35
applicable terms of employment, and three hours shall be devoted to 36
safety training, including basic safety precautions, emergency 37
procedures, and infection control. ((Individual providers)) Long-term 38
care workers subject to this requirement include: 39
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(i)(A) Unless covered by (a) of this subsection, ((an individual 1
provider)) a long-term care worker providing in-home care and caring 2
only for the ((individual provider's )) worker's child or parent, 3
including when related by marriage or domestic partnership;4
(B) ((An individual provider )) A long-term care worker providing 5
in-home care and caring only for the ((individual provider's)) long-6
term care worker's sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, 7
grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or 8
domestic partnership; and9
(ii) A person working as ((an individual provider )) a long-term 10
care worker providing in-home care who provides 20 hours or less of 11
care for one person in any calendar month((; and12
(iii) A long-term care worker providing approved services only 13
for a spouse or registered domestic partner and funded through the 14
United States department of veterans affairs home and community-based 15
programs)). 16
(2) In computing the time periods in this section, the first day 17
is the date of hire. 18
(3) Only training curriculum approved by the department may be 19
used to fulfill the training requirements specified in this section. 20
The department shall only approve training curriculum that:21
(a) Has been developed with input from consumer and worker 22
representatives; and 23
(b) Requires comprehensive instruction by qualified instructors.24
(4) If a pandemic, natural disaster, or other declared state of 25
emergency impacts the ability of long-term care workers to complete 26
training as required by this section, the department may adopt rules 27
to allow long-term care workers additional time to complete the 28
training requirements. 29
(a) Rules adopted under this subsection (4) are effective until 30
the termination of the pandemic, natural disaster, or other declared 31
state of emergency or until the department determines that all long-32
term care workers who were unable to complete the training required 33
in subsection (1) of this section have had adequate access to 34
complete the required training, whichever is later. Once the 35
department determines a rule adopted under this subsection (4) is no 36
longer necessary, it must repeal the rule under RCW 34.05.353.37
(b) Within 12 months of the termination of the pandemic, natural 38
disaster, or other declared state of emergency, the department shall 39
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conduct a review of training compliance with subsection (1) of this 1
section and provide the legislature with a report. 2
(5) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.3
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