Budget savings

AN ACT Relating to achieving budget savings in certain policies 1
with significant projected fiscal impact that have yet to take 2
effect; amending RCW 43.216.556 and 74.62.030; reenacting and 3
amending RCW 43.216.802; repealing RCW 43.216.828 and 74.08A.035; 4
repealing 2024 c 174 s 1; repealing 2024 c 174 s 4 (uncodified); 5
providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
Sec. 1. RCW 43.216.556 and 2021 c 199 s 208 are each amended to 8
read as follows: 9
(1) Funding for the program of early learning established under 10
this chapter must be appropriated to the department. The department 11
shall distribute funding to approved early childhood education and 12
assistance program contractors on the basis of eligible children 13
enrolled. 14
(2) ((The program shall be implemented in phases, so that full 15
implementation is achieved in the 2026-27 school year.16
(3) Funding shall continue to be phased in each year until full 17
statewide implementation of the early learning program is achieved in 18
the 2026-27 school year, at which time any eligible child is entitled 19
to be enrolled in the program. Entitlement under this section is 20
voluntary enrollment.21
S-0983.1
SENATE BILL 5788
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senator Gildon
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(4))) School districts and approved community -based early 1
learning providers may contract with the department to provide 2
services under the program. The department shall collaborate with 3
school districts, community -based providers, and educational service 4
districts to promote an adequate supply of approved providers.5
Sec. 2. RCW 43.216.802 and 2024 c 225 s 1 and 2024 c 67 s 2 are 6
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 7
(1) It is the intent of the legislature to increase working 8
families' access to affordable, high quality child care and to 9
support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the 10
statewide economy. 11
(2) A family is eligible for working connections child care when 12
the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state 13
median income adjusted for family size and: 14
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 15
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 16
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and17
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 18
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 19
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 20
granted by this chapter. 21
(3) ((Beginning July 1, 2025, a family is eligible for working 22
connections child care when the household's annual income is above 60 23
percent and at or below 75 percent of the state median income 24
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
(4) Beginning July 1, 2027, and subject to the availability of 33
amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a family is eligible 34
for working connections child care when the household's annual income 35
is above 75 percent of the state median income and is at or below 85 36
percent of the state median income adjusted for family size and:37
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(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 1
or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need 2
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and3
(b) The household meets all other program eligibility 4
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 5
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 6
granted by this chapter.7
(5))) Beginning November 1, 2024, when an applicant or consumer 8
is a member of an assistance unit that is eligible for or receiving 9
basic food benefits under the federal supplemental nutrition 10
assistance program or the state food assistance program the 11
department must determine that the household income eligibility 12
requirements in this section are met. 13
(((6))) (4) The department must adopt rules to implement this 14
section, including an income phase-out eligibility period.15
(((7))) (5) The department may not consider the citizenship 16
status of an applicant or consumer's child when determining 17
eligibility for working connections child care benefits.18
(((8))) (6) The income eligibility requirements in 19
subsection((s)) (2) ((through (4))) of this section do not apply to 20
households eligible for the working connections child care program 21
under RCW 43.216.808, 43.216.810, 43.216.812, and 43.216.814.22
Sec. 3. RCW 74.62.030 and 2023 c 289 s 3 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
(1)(a) The aged, blind, or disabled assistance program shall 25
provide financial grants to persons in need who: 26
(i) Are not eligible to receive ((supplemental security income, 27
refugee cash assistance, temporary assistance for needy families, or 28
state family assistance benefits )) federal aid assistance, other than 29
basic food benefits transferred electronically and medical 30
assistance; 31
(ii) Meet the eligibility requirements of subsection (3) of this 32
section; and 33
(iii) Are aged, blind, or disabled. For purposes of determining 34
eligibility for assistance for the aged, blind, or disabled 35
assistance program, the following definitions apply:36
(A) "Aged" means age 65 or older. 37
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(B) "Blind" means statutorily blind as defined for the purpose of 1
determining eligibility for the federal supplemental security income 2
program. 3
(C) "Disabled" means likely to meet the federal supplemental 4
security income disability standard. In making this determination, 5
the department should give full consideration to the cumulative 6
impact of an applicant's multiple impairments, an applicant's age, 7
and vocational and educational history. 8
In determining whether a person is disabled, the department may 9
rely on, but is not limited to, the following: 10
(I) A previous disability determination by the social security 11
administration or the disability determination service entity within 12
the department; or 13
(II) A determination that an individual is eligible to receive 14
optional categorically needy medicaid as a disabled person under the 15
federal regulations at 42 C.F.R. Parts 435, Secs. 201(a)(3) and 210.16
(b) The following persons are not eligible for the aged, blind, 17
or disabled assistance program: 18
(i) Persons who are not able to engage in gainful employment due 19
primarily to a substance use disorder. These persons shall be 20
referred to appropriate assessment, treatment, or shelter services. 21
Referrals shall be made at the time of application or at the time of 22
eligibility review. This subsection may not be construed to prohibit 23
the department from granting aged, blind, or disabled assistance 24
benefits to persons with a substance use disorder who are 25
incapacitated due to other physical or mental conditions that meet 26
the eligibility criteria for the aged, blind, or disabled assistance 27
program; or 28
(ii) Persons for whom there has been a final determination of 29
ineligibility based on age, blindness, or disability for federal 30
supplemental security income benefits. 31
(c) Persons may receive aged, blind, or disabled assistance 32
benefits and essential needs and housing program support under RCW 33
43.185C.220 concurrently while pending application for federal 34
supplemental security income benefits. ((Effective October 1, 2025, a 35
person's receipt of supplemental security income received for the 36
same period as aged, blind, or disabled program assistance as 37
described in this section shall not be considered a debt due to the 38
state and is not subject to recovery. However, the )) The monetary 39
value of any aged, blind, or disabled ((cash)) assistance ((paid 40
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prior to October 1, 2025, )) benefit that is subsequently duplicated 1
by the person's receipt of supplemental security income for the same 2
period shall be considered a debt due to the state and shall by 3
operation of law be subject to recovery through all available legal 4
remedies. 5
(2) The pregnant women assistance program shall provide financial 6
grants to persons who: 7
(a) Are pregnant and in need, based upon the current income and 8
resource standards of the federal temporary assistance for needy 9
families program, but are ineligible for federal temporary assistance 10
for needy families or state family assistance benefits for a reason 11
other than failure to cooperate in program requirements; and12
(b) Meet the eligibility requirements of subsection (3) of this 13
section. 14
(3) To be eligible for the aged, blind, or disabled assistance 15
program under subsection (1) of this section or the pregnant women 16
assistance program under subsection (2) of this section, a person 17
must: 18
(a) Be a citizen or alien lawfully admitted for permanent 19
residence or otherwise residing in the United States under color of 20
law, or be a victim of human trafficking as defined in RCW 74.04.005;21
(b) Meet the income and resource standards described in RCW 22
74.04.805(1) (d) and (e); 23
(c)(i) Have furnished the department with their social security 24
number. If the social security number cannot be furnished because it 25
has not been issued or is not known, an application for a number 26
shall be made prior to authorization of benefits, and the social 27
security number shall be provided to the department upon receipt;28
(ii) This requirement does not apply to victims of human 29
trafficking as defined in RCW 74.04.005 if they have not been issued 30
a social security number; 31
(d) Not have refused or failed without good cause to participate 32
in substance use treatment if an assessment by a certified substance 33
use disorder professional indicates a need for such treatment. Good 34
cause must be found to exist when a person's physical or mental 35
condition, as determined by the department, prevents the person from 36
participating in substance use treatment, when needed outpatient 37
treatment is not available to the person in the county of their 38
residence, when needed inpatient treatment is not available in a 39
location that is reasonably accessible for the person, or when the 40
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person is a parent or other relative personally providing care for a 1
minor child or an incapacitated individual living in the same home as 2
the person, and child care or day care would be necessary for the 3
person to participate in substance use disorder treatment, and such 4
care is not available; and 5
(e) Not have refused or failed to cooperate in obtaining federal 6
aid assistance, without good cause. 7
(4) Referrals for essential needs and housing support under RCW 8
43.185C.220 shall be provided to persons found eligible under RCW 9
74.04.805. 10
(5) No person may be considered an eligible individual for 11
benefits under this section with respect to any month if during that 12
month the person: 13
(a) Is fleeing to avoid prosecution of, or to avoid custody or 14
confinement for conviction of, a felony, or an attempt to commit a 15
felony, under the laws of the state of Washington or the place from 16
which the person flees; or 17
(b) Is violating a condition of probation, community supervision, 18
or parole imposed under federal or state law for a felony or gross 19
misdemeanor conviction. 20
(6) The department must share client data for individuals 21
eligible for essential needs and housing support with the department 22
of commerce and designated essential needs and housing support 23
entities as required under RCW 43.185C.230. 24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The following acts or parts of acts are 25
each repealed:26
(1) RCW 43.216.828 (Child care subsidy rates — Use of cost model) 27
and 2021 c 199 s 301 & 2019 c 368 s 7; 28
(2) RCW 74.08A.035 (Income eligibility— Child support) and 2024 c 29
174 s 2; 30
(3) 2024 c 174 s 1; and 31
(4) 2024 c 174 s 4 (uncodified). 32
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate 33
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 34
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 35
effect July 1, 2025.36
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