2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION OVERVIEW

Dear Providers,

First and foremost, we want to thank you all for your active engagement this legislative session. It has been amazing to see you all advocate for yourselves whether signing in pro/con, attending lobby day, emailing your lawmakers, and/or testifying on issues that matter to you. I look forward to working with all of you during the interim to identify issues that need to be addressed and using the appropriate type of advocacy to advocate for it on your behalf.

With that being said,  the legislature formally ended on Sunday, April 24, 2023, which means we can now update all of you on the policy issues that made it on the final budget and the bills that have made it all the way through the end. An overview is provided below. If you have any additional questions or inquiries about a particular bill not listed below, feel free to email me at amina@adultfamilyhomecouncil.org or call our office.  

Policy Issues in The Final State Budget

AFH Council Legislative Priorities

Collective Bargaining Agreement

• The legislature fully funded the Adult Family Homes of Washington 2023-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement which includes $339 million new dollars that would increase the average base daily rate by 29%. This is the single largest contract increase, by dollars, or percentage of increase, ever awarded to the adult family homes. Additionally, the award also increases ECS, SBS, HIV/AIDS, Community Integration and Meaningful Day in addition to correcting the outdated county designation. The new contract will have two county categories: Central Puget Sound Region (CSPR) which includes King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties and Standard for all other counties. For additional information about your residents’ base daily rate increases for FY 24 (starts July 1, 2023) and FY 25 (starts July 1, 2024) click on the following link: https://adultfamilyhomecouncil.org/2023-25-cba-upcoming-increases/

AFH Health Care Coverage

• $672,000 over the biennium was awarded to the Adult Family Home Training Network housed in the Long-Term Care foundation and the Washington Health Benefit Exchange to create educational resources, training, and employ and train a navigator that would be responsible for assisting AFH owners and their employees apply for free or affordable health care coverage.

Language Access Pilot Program

• $800,000 over the biennium was awarded for a pilot project focused on providing translation services for interpreting mandatory courses offered through the adult family home training network which is housed in the Long Term Care Foundation.

Additional Funding for Adult Family Homes

Adult Family Home Heat Pumps

• $5,000,000 in grants is provided to adult family homes to install heat pumps in order to cool their homes during our very hot summer months.

Developmental Disability Enhanced Specialty Pilot

• $6,881,000 is provided to pilot a specialty rate for adult family homes to serve up to 100 individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who also have co-occurring health or behavioral health diagnosis.

Behavioral Health Personal Care

• $74,091,000 is provided to the Health Care Authority to contract with Medicaid managed care organizations for wraparound services to Medicaid enrolled individuals that are not covered under the Medicaid program.

Rapid Response Teams

• $34,800,000 is provided to continue the rapid response nursing team program through the end of FY 2024. The rapid response program provides staffing teams to assist long-term care facilities manage workforce shortages and support beds that serve individuals discharged from acute care hospitals after their medical needs have been met.

Legislative Bill Update

The following bills have met every fiscal committee cutoff and made it all the way to the end. They are currently either sitting on the governor’s desk waiting to be signed or have already been signed. Click on each bill to learn more about the changes it will bring or watch our most recent Legislative Session Update webinar for a high-level overview of each legislative bill by clicking on the following link:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8006151523028022274

• SB 5278: Home Care Aide Certification

• HB 1694: Home Care Worker Shortage

• HB 1128: Personal Needs Allowance

• HB 1265: AFH Property Tax Exemption

• SB 5179: Washington Death with Dignity