Washington HB 1865: Expanding access for small business employees and adjusting implementation dates for working connections child care.

Bill Text

AN  ACT  Relating  to  expanding  access  to  child  care  benefits  for 1
small  business  employees  and  adjusting  implementation  dates  for 2
working  connections  child  care;  amending  RCW 43.216.810;  reenacting 3
and amending RCW 43.216.802; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 4
RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.216 7
RCW to read as follows:8
(1)  An  applicant  or  consumer  is  eligible  to  receive  working 9
connections child care benefits for the care of one or more eligible 10
children when:11
(a)  The  applicant  or  household  member  is  employed  by  a  small 12
business;13
(b) The applicant or consumer's household annual income adjusted 14
for family size does not exceed 75 percent of the state median income 15
at  the  time  of  application,  or,  beginning  July  1,  2031,  does  not 16
exceed  85  percent  of  the  state  median  income  if  funds  are 17
appropriated for the purpose of RCW 43.216.802(4);18
(c) The child receiving care is (i) less than 13 years of age, or 19
(ii) less than 19 years of age and either has a verified special need 20
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and21
Z-0345.1
HOUSE BILL 1865
State of Washington69th Legislature2025 Regular Session
By Representatives   Bergquist,   Couture,   Eslick,   Reed,   Nance, 
Salahuddin,  Obras,  Pollet,  and  Timmons;  by  request  of  Governor 
Ferguson
Read first time 02/06/25.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & 
Human Services.
p. 1HB 1865

(d)   The   household   meets   all   other   program   eligibility 1
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 2
in accordance with RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065, and 43.216.800.3
(2)  The  department  must  adopt  a  copayment  model  for  benefits 4
granted  under  this  section,  which  must  align  with  any  copayment 5
identified or adopted for households with the same income level under 6
RCW 43.216.804.7
(3) For the purposes of this section "small business" means any 8
business  entity  that  is  owned  and  operated  independently  from  all 9
other businesses, and that has 50 or fewer employees.10
Sec. 2.  RCW 43.216.802 and 2024 c 225 s 1 and 2024 c 67 s 2 are 11
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:12
(1)  It  is  the  intent  of  the  legislature  to  increase  working 13
families'  access  to  affordable,  high  quality  child  care  and  to 14
support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the 15
statewide economy.16
(2) A family is eligible for working connections child care when 17
the household's annual income is at or below 60 percent of the state 18
median income adjusted for family size and:19
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 20
or (ii)  less  than  19  years  of  age  and  has  a  verified  special  need 21
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and22
(b)   The   household   meets   all   other   program   eligibility 23
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 24
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 25
granted by this chapter.26
(3)  Beginning  July  1, ((2025)) 2029,  a  family  is  eligible  for 27
working connections child care when the household's annual income is 28
above  60  percent  and  at  or  below  75  percent  of  the  state  median 29
income adjusted for family size and:30
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 31
or (ii)  less  than  19  years  of  age  and  has  a  verified  special  need 32
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and33
(b)   The   household   meets   all   other   program   eligibility 34
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 35
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 36
granted by this chapter.37
(4)  Beginning  July  1, ((2027)) 2031,  and  subject  to  the 38
availability  of  amounts  appropriated  for  this  specific  purpose,  a 39
p. 2HB 1865

family  is  eligible  for  working  connections  child  care  when  the 1
household's  annual  income  is  above  75  percent  of  the  state  median 2
income  and  is  at  or  below  85  percent  of  the  state  median  income 3
adjusted for family size and:4
(a) The child receiving care is: (i) Less than 13 years of age; 5
or (ii)  less  than  19  years  of  age  and  has  a  verified  special  need 6
according to department rule or is under court supervision; and7
(b)   The   household   meets   all   other   program   eligibility 8
requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department 9
as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority 10
granted by this chapter.11
(5) Beginning November 1, 2024, when an applicant or consumer is 12
a  member  of  an  assistance  unit  that  is  eligible  for