ACT NOW:
HB 1398 Needs Your Voice!
HB 1398 (now SHB 1398) got scheduled for a hearing! Thank you to everyone who reached out to legislators and helped spread the word. Your voices made a significant impact and we need your help again to keep moving SHB 1398 forward.
If our bill doesn’t get voted out of committee on Friday, February 28, it’s dead. 85% of bills die. We have limited time to reach out to legislators to get our bill voted out of Appropriations. Our bill is about pay equity, and we can’t stand for not being included any longer. We need your help to keep this bill alive!
What This Bill Does:
Adult family homes collectively bargain their Medicaid reimbursement rates. We noted that In-home caregivers and childcare workers have a provision in their collective bargaining rules that requires an arbitrator to consider, among other things, a comparison of wages, hours, and working conditions of publicly reimbursed workers who provide similar care to clients in Washington. We would like to ensure that AFH providers are also given the same consideration in this process.
Take Action to Move HB 1398 Forward!
Send one email to the Appropriations Committee and our Bill Sponsor encouraging them to vote the bill out of committee. We need them to hear from as many of us as possible!
To:
April.Berg@leg.wa.gov steve.bergquist@leg.wa.gov Brian.Burnett@leg.wa.gov michelle.caldier@leg.wa.gov lisa.callan@leg.wa.gov April.Connors@leg.wa.gov chris.corry@leg.wa.gov Julio.Cortes@leg.wa.gov Travis.Couture@leg.wa.gov beth.doglio@leg.wa.gov mary.dye@leg.wa.gov joe.fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov mia.gregerson@leg.wa.gov Michael.Keaton@leg.wa.gov mari.leavitt@leg.wa.gov debra.lekanoff@leg.wa.gov nicole.macri@leg.wa.gov Deb.Manjarrez@leg.wa.gov Matt.Marshall@leg.wa.gov timm.ormsby@leg.wa.gov Joshua.Penner@leg.wa.gov strom.peterson@leg.wa.gov gerry.pollet@leg.wa.gov skyler.rude@leg.wa.gov cindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov larry.springer@leg.wa.gov monica.stonier@leg.wa.gov Chipalo.Street@leg.wa.gov my-linh.thai@leg.wa.gov steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Cc:
shaun.scott@leg.wa.gov Katharine.Gillen@leg.wa.gov Syd.Locke@leg.wa.gov Jeri.Taylor-Swade@leg.wa.gov lj.rohrer@leg.wa.gov Erika.Boyd@leg.wa.gov William.Burch@leg.wa.gov Camille.Nelson@leg.wa.gov Charles.Wichert@leg.wa.gov Tristan.Mospan@leg.wa.gov Kevin.Snow@leg.wa.gov Kieran.Sprague@leg.wa.gov Oksana.Reva@leg.wa.gov Tyra.Zeigler@leg.wa.gov Sandy.Ruff@leg.wa.gov Kat.Bryant@leg.wa.gov Devon.McBride@leg.wa.gov Brady.Hood@leg.wa.gov Elizabeth.Popoff@leg.wa.gov Michael.Lindsay@leg.wa.gov Shannon.Waechter@leg.wa.gov Sara.Wendell@leg.wa.gov Nick.Spurlock@leg.wa.gov Emily.Grupp@leg.wa.gov Austin.Choate@leg.wa.gov Shoubee.Liaw@leg.wa.gov Trixie.Harmon@leg.wa.gov Emily.Wills@leg.wa.gov Megan.Filippello@leg.wa.gov Travis.Jones@leg.wa.gov Carmen.Tuncap@leg.wa.gov Dawn.Thomas@leg.wa.gov
Email Template:
Subject Line: Include SHB 1398 in Executive Session!
Dear Representatives,
My name is [Your Name], I live in the [Your Legislative District] I am [Your role to adult family homes]. I am reaching out today on behalf of over 5,000 adult family homes in the state of Washington who want to see Adult Family Homes included in existing law, by amending RCW 41.56.465 through the passage of HB 1398. Thank you for hearing this bill on Tuesday, but we can’t stop at just a hearing.
Please include this bill in Executive Session before cutoff.
This modification to existing law would require a panel to consider the same factors for adult family home providers as it does for individual providers. The bill removes references for considerations regarding some family childcare providers and requires the panel consider certain factors concerning uniformed personnel instead. Passage of this legislation will not impact the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) workload or client benefits. Therefore, there is no fiscal impact to DSHS from this bill. The Bill Analyis can be found upon referencing the link here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zxpueoveepoi4todxwzra/1398-HBA-LAWS-25.pdf?rlkey=71dnzymj30nfxpb6u9bgke8r8&st=wghk5joi&dl=0
Included in this analysis you will note:
“The decision of the panel is not binding on the Legislature. If the Legislature does not approve the funds necessary to implement an arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, the decision is not binding on the state.”
We understand that interest arbitration bills typically have a cost associated with them. Our ask is for a modification to existing legislation that determines Medicaid rates, a federally secured funding stream. This bill for us is about equity.
[EXPLAIN HOW YOUR HOME SUPPORTS MEDICAID PATIENTS OR HOW YOU CAN’T SUSTAIN PATIENTS DUE TO THE LOW RATES.]
Thank you for considering.
[Your Name]
Spread the word! Tell your networks we need their support to achieve equitable pay for AFH providers!
Please send questions to Courtney@adultfamilyhomecouncil.org
Not a Member Yet?
Membership fees enable the Council to cover legal expenses and fund staff to advocate with the state and regulatory agencies. The participation of every adult family home is vital to ensuring fair regulations and rates that accurately reflect the costs of caring for our vulnerable adults. Consider becoming a member of the Council to help us continue improving conditions for all adult family homes in Washington State.