[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6369614,"mediaKeyId","2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95","parentId",2154401,"title","Committee briefs technical bill to align fingerprint checks with federal FBI requirements for some DSHS/DCYF positions","audioSeconds",5730,"startMs",325000,"endMs",6055000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95&start=325&end=6055","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95/thumbnail_325000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6369614/Washington/Committee-briefs-technical-bill-to-align-fingerprint-checks-with-federal-FBI-requirements-for-some-DSHSDCYF-positions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369614-1dcfd5903c244e1e972e2b8b7ccd65e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176107&Signature=Zv9rJg5FCOqN2~yA8sUBmnjtQe0TJBF411MhRNGbX8bfCOkWe0~IZ-GSqx3GPray5xt1aEf8NdAGalTYtnwsoXhAAWIo6s3T2YtuW9a29XBeDuGpUNAxT38xYupbF-aRlxStGi0yTYznjQtkoR2lV07h6-g8Dq3ADC3JmYaN3frMj14WAyWqgC8g1zY-OJ2rbuIiHVSaJMUm7~zaNTkrq9NVBBd~H-dY3PoSPpdMxiN0sVT0mNpWKqn0m3T4gCWXDpZw8EsknGQvjARBsRzCUUpR9BBc3plLO4MI4TKS-cuLuPcqXuKDhoL5A2KowwBVNxbnSpOBDy79WyOcs0bA~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Human Services","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 5318, presented as an agency request bill, would require applicants for certain positions with the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Children, Youth and Families who have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations to submit fingerprint background checks through the Washington State Patrol and, in some cases, the FBI, Lisonbee Mendiola, committee staff, told the Senate Human Services Committee.

The staff briefing described the bill as a technical fix to conform state practice to federal FBI requirements for access to the FBI fingerprint background-check system. The FBI requires sufficiently specific statutory definitions to identify which classes of applicants must be fingerprinted. Staff said the existing statute (RCW 43.43.837 as discussed in the briefing) defines covered facilities rather than specific classes of employees, creating a compliance gap for some newly opened facilities such as the Lake Burien Transitional Care Facility.

Senator Claudia Kauffman, the prime sponsor, described the bill as a narrow technical amendment requested by the agency to clarify definitions and ensure DSHS and DCYF may access federal fingerprint services for positions that involve unsupervised access to vulnerable adults and youth. \"This is really at the request, a state agency request. And it is a technical fix,\" Senator Kauffman said.

Agency representatives appeared at the hearing in person and by Zoom. Dr. Upkar Mankat, deputy assistant secretary for DDA, and Megan Desmet, DDA director of facilities, said the FBI raised concerns about overly broad statutory definitions and that without changes the FBI would not permit access to its fingerprint system. The witnesses said the bill's clarifications will bring Washington into compliance with federal requirements and help protect vulnerable populations by ensuring required background checks are possible for staff at specific facilities.

Staff and sponsors said no fiscal note or minimal costs are expected for the proposed technical changes. The committee asked clarifying questions about whether the change applied only to Lake Burien; agency staff confirmed the bill explicitly addresses Lake Burien but also clarifies definitions to cover similar facility types as needed.

The committee did not record a vote on SB 5318 at this hearing and closed the item after the agency briefing and sponsor remarks.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Human Services - 1/27/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 5318, an agency-request technical bill, would clarify which applicants must submit Washington State Patrol and FBI fingerprint background checks for positions with unsupervised access to vulnerable populations, agency and staff witnesses told the Senate Human Services Committee.","taxTitle","Human Services, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20506,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6369630,"Senate committee hears hours-long testimony on bill to allow parents to be paid caregivers for minor children with developmental disabilities",3698,735000,4433000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95&start=735&end=4433","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95/thumbnail_735000.jpg","/articles/6369630/Washington/Senate-committee-hears-hours-long-testimony-on-bill-to-allow-parents-to-be-paid-caregivers-for-minor-children-with-developmental-disabilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369630-22a4c306c0a4924864fae0b4276f2e14/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176107&Signature=SVAndUH57bFcIFjXJLCAuizcm0SM5IV7WMHPd9Qc7A0b8-Q~I6pc3YdeznjKtVtRbzUcfDnaKT24FQGhx26cJHcr-bn5xqnQU3V5TYLu8RPtiOI1nZ8pfvDUpjEXuI8f5BZSnVHPtfqWf2Hq9XSznMSZFJKBthNbmZX-62a08i-2uzO807hbb0BqGwcaNGK856NwFG13NXgEmIm~COUKp9EZ3bZ3m4xSIDPe9yQhGLw7FrB4s5aFigpfUCIweBlcPVJQkTDea1CCKLV8XNXxWsk-7NJrOLbQ85qOsyiyofGBhIRDrrZhVMzlZbcM24ZUpwT1bEJBDjbwZTOOOrPSow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5211 would direct the Developmental Disabilities Administration to seek Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services waiver amendments so parents may be paid for providing certain \"extraordinary care\" to minor children, committee staff told the Senate Human Services Committee. Allison Mendiola, committee staff, briefed the bill to the panel and outlined the proposed substitute and fiscal estimates.

The bill matters to families, advocates and clinicians because Washington currently bars payment to parents who provide personal care to minor children on DDA waivers; proponents say the restriction leaves promised hours unused amid a persistent workforce shortage. \"This is not a bill to pay parents to be parents. This is a bill to employ us for the work we can't hire out because no one else is willing,\" said Kimmy Nova, a parent from East Wenatchee who testified in favor of the bill.

Under the substitute described in the staff briefing, DDA would, no later than Jan. 1, 2026 or as necessary based on waiver approval, submit waiver requests to allow parental caregivers to be employed as individual providers for hours defined as extraordinary care. The bill would limit parental payment to extraordinary-care hours (as defined in the substitute) while other assessed personal care hours would remain on the community-first-choice option. The substitute includes an implementation timeline that broadens the definition of extraordinary care starting July 1, 2031.

Proponents filled the committee room. Parents and caregivers described care tasks that include ventilator management, feeding-tube care, frequent hospital transports, 24-hour monitoring and other skilled tasks. \"He was born at 25 weeks ... between my husband and I we've had 20 jobs in the last 15 years not for lack of qualifications but because businesses can't or won't employ us because of our commitment to Jaden's care,\" said Jessica Morrow of Lake Stevens, whose testimony noted the family was considering out-of-state institutional placement because they could not hire in-home caregivers.

Medical and provider representatives also spoke. Dr. Stephanie Rager, pediatric palliative care physician, described home care that can be equivalent to skilled nursing and said families face an unfair choice between working and keeping medically fragile children safe at home. Union and provider representatives said 30 states employed parents during COVID-19 and 27 have made parental employment permanent. Testimony from ASHA House Northwest and family-support organizations argued the change would increase utilization of already-authorized hours and produce state savings by avoiding costly institutional placements.

The committee heard fiscal estimates released shortly before the hearing: the fiscal note included a general fund-state cost of about $7.07 million for the 2025–27 biennium and $23.456 million for the 2027–29 biennium; staff said the estimate assumes roughly 1,017 clients and that about 160 of those are not currently on waiver services and would require enrollment to access the extraordinary-care payment. Proponents said wages paid to parent providers would be the same as those for other individual providers and that federal matching dollars would apply.

Committee members listened but did not take a committee vote on the bill at this hearing. The chair closed public testimony after an extended panel of family caregivers, clinicians and advocacy groups and said the committee would continue considering the issue.

The hearing combined first-hand family accounts—parents who described years without stable caregivers and the risk of institutionalization—with clinical and policy testimony about workforce shortages, program budgeting and federal waiver rules. Several parents asked for the committee's support to expand the caregiver workforce so authorized hours are actually delivered to children.

The committee did not adopt the bill at the hearing; staff and senators signaled continued work on fiscal and implementation details.

Ending: The committee closed testimony on SB 5211 and moved on to other agenda items; no final committee action on SB 5211 is recorded in the transcript.","Senate Bill 5211 would require the Developmental Disabilities Administration to seek Medicaid waiver changes to allow parents of minor children with developmental disabilities to be paid for defined \"extraordinary care,\" proponents told the Senate Human Services Committee during a daylong hearing with dozens of family and clinician testimonies.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6369609,"Committee refers SB 5481 to Health and Long Term Care without recommendation",114,2778000,2892000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95&start=2778&end=2892","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95/thumbnail_2778000.jpg","/articles/6369609/Washington/Committee-refers-SB-5481-to-Health-and-Long-Term-Care-without-recommendation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369609-433fea4a6d478e204e6e2ea27cad06ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176107&Signature=NG02kPFlALBje6XhVOYENshW-x9uIpl4DVaXGXlbXrHZMfV9CsYJbPVLbU2Bo0I0-rpeG6kzB2tzRFfJW4FQ0B5maK-46SPa20o2L4H-dy35pCHI~-ESvnoGg5HKIiED4vlcBbeh7JKjm4fwbCj1XYKjgpLq2JrhtGFAz0DjOM51RfQRl52PSXUuT33dKOplq4wvvUiwIfsiNEzeVpht96YI6mdGsbqej88CDEuLQiK0okaQEQhnZX5K9guCuIdx4KsHSrFRZM5CbAbKxk0-oueDQ8x2DziwzQbSyn7Oo0Gw4YHkH6eUc-j6IQvZBPok1ap3olbU-3z1gPPdWve7rA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Human Services Committee moved Senate Bill 5481 to the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee without recommendation during a short executive-session referral. The chair said the purpose of the executive session was \"referring a bill to another committee without recommendation\" and identified SB 5481 as the item before the committee.

A committee member moved the referral \"to the Health and Long Term Care Committee without recommendation.\" After brief discussion about jurisdiction—committee members said the bill relates to managed-care and Medicaid and thus was more appropriate for Health and Long Term Care—the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The clerk reported the bill was referred \"subject to signatures.\" The transcript records no roll-call vote or further debate.

Ending: The bill was referred without recommendation; the transcript indicates the referral and voice vote but no recorded roll call tally.","During a brief executive-session referral, the Senate Human Services Committee voted to refer Senate Bill 5481, related to managed care organizations and Medicaid, to the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee without recommendation; the motion passed by voice vote and is recorded as referred subject to signatures.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6369621,"Committee hears testimony on bill to make inmate phone and electronic communications free",5900,45000,5945000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95&start=45&end=5945","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2154401-c993503a672d96f8685afcee1269ce95/thumbnail_45000.jpg","/articles/6369621/Washington/Committee-hears-testimony-on-bill-to-make-inmate-phone-and-electronic-communications-free","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6369621-5cfe5b412dc3b7149f0b50c05868b896/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176107&Signature=VmKwu-HhaOrEILL0xdf1dgXVUGe1Dd5don1HpqVbV-CKfx4R0u6rxJ2AsrjDansvGVAESNlpM2vrY~aZWuBiOU41ikNNSXmaxfAR8DgxqXQ9aCUXHfBHt60t~OoUNBAG-xY6jtTk~~ZMUbtePjG0FZxl27eGcy2HbS3uIZvFpXozjOU19JO5pqhIVXQl~hVl~YfU2HzF7~zgULEnhxzwF-ipXL3YBFms6wJqk7wttGTKQ16mC6Td3qymwkE5z8xo5gb0VN2XQPcm1o-XMbvVPUzEvg4W2pUIFBDMw5lGczHSKnCzZD8lgAGS5DM1VO8qLfi-5h46SqfQzAC~exfAHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 5231 would require the Department of Corrections and the Department of Children, Youth and Families to provide free voice communication services and would prohibit commissions and transaction fees on communications services, staff told the Senate Human Services Committee. Kelsey Ann Fung, staff to the committee, briefed the proposed substitute and its key provisions.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Drew Hansen (23rd Legislative District), described the measure as the \"Connecting Families Act\" and said it \"will make it free for people in prison to stay in touch with their families.\" He and witnesses framed the proposal as a public-safety and reentry measure that removes financial barriers to family contact.

Staff explained the bill's main provisions: require DOC and DCYF to provide free voice communications and free tablets and necessary accessory devices (chargers, headphones, microphones) and to replace inoperative devices within seven days; prohibit commissions and fees; prohibit using communication services to supplant in-person visitation; and require additional contract transparency and data posting in housing units and law-library computers. The substitute would take effect Dec. 1, 2025.

The staff briefing noted existing contracts with Securus Technologies for phone, email, video visits and electronic media services. Staff described the incarcerated-individual betterment fund as primarily funded by commissions from telecom and electronic media services; expenditures from the fund include family-visit expenses, children's visiting-room supplies, law library books and recreation and hobby costs. Staff said 25% of funds are dedicated to the crime victim compensation fund. The briefing also cited a pending Federal Communications Commission order that will cap per-minute rates, eliminate transaction fees and bar commissions beginning Jan. 1, 2026, subject to pending appeal in the First Circuit.

Public testimony largely supported the bill. Kelly Olsen, policy manager for Civil Survival and a formerly incarcerated person, testified in strong support and tied free communications to reduced recidivism and improved reentry outcomes. Multiple formerly incarcerated people and family members described financial hardship created by phone and video fees and urged the committee to remove the cost barrier. \"Free phone calls are also vital for connecting to advocacy organizations to help prepare individuals for successful reentry,\" Kelly Olsen said.

Advocates highlighted fiscal figures staff provided: Department of Corrections estimates annual phone costs of $5,150,000, email costs of $3,120,000, and an estimated loss of commission revenue of $1,600,000 for FY 2026 and $2,700,000 per year thereafter to the incarcerated-individual betterment fund; staff also noted that some of these fiscal impacts would be similar under the FCC order that bars commissions. Proponents said the state already budgets for some costs and that the bill would align state policy with public-safety goals.

Speakers also raised contract and privacy concerns. Raymond Williams of Justice Solutions and other witnesses described data collection practices in contracted communications platforms, saying vendors may collect and sell biometric and financial data from users and families; witnesses urged eliminating the need for families to use vendor platforms that collect such data by moving to free services provided by the state.

No committee vote on SB 5231 is recorded in the hearing transcript; the committee continued to the next items after extensive public comment and staff discussion.","Senate Bill 5231, the \"Connecting Families\" proposal, would require free voice communications for people confined in state facilities, prohibit commissions and fees and require provision and replacement of free tablets and accessories; the committee heard staff briefings, fiscal estimates and multiple public testimonies in support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee briefs technical bill to align fingerprint checks with federal FBI requirements for some DSHS/DCYF positions

Senate committee hears hours-long testimony on bill to allow parents to be paid caregivers for minor children with developmental disabilities

Committee refers SB 5481 to Health and Long Term Care without recommendation

Committee hears testimony on bill to make inmate phone and electronic communications free