Speak Out Against Fee Increases!
Lawmakers are proposing a 100% increase in adult family home license fees. This could force providers to make difficult decisions that affect both staff and residents. We sent the Appropriations and Ways and Means committees a letter with nearly 650 signatures on our petition, and now legislators need to hear directly from you! Please take a few minutes to contact your legislators and ask them to oppose the fee increases.
Step 1: Find Your Legislator
- Find your legislator using the district finder.
- When you enter your address, you will see results like the image below:
Step 2: Find Your Legislator's Email
- Click on each legislator’s name to access their information page, then click the yellow “email” button.
- OR you can type their email addresses manually. Each legislator has the same email address format: their first name and last name, followed by @leg.wa.gov
- Format: firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov
- Example: beth.doglio@leg.wa.org
- OR you can find a list of legislators and their emails at our spreadsheet here.
Step 3: Email Your Legislator
- Personalize the email template below and send it to each of your legislators.
- You’ll need to add your legislative district to the email. Locate your legislative district at this link if you need to find it or want to double check!
Email Template:
Good Day,
My name is [Your Name], I live in [Your Legislative District]. On behalf of the Adult Family Home Council, I am asking you not to increase annual licensing fees for Adult Family Homes (AFHs). A petition (available at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/y26ikx91ky5dz4vc1g5lo/Licensing-Fees-Budget-Letter.pdf?rlkey=irc2umrvg98wyel7k2rwm7myf&st=gdopo06s&dl=0) shows that nearly 650 AFH operators and supporters signed in opposition to increasing our license fees, pleading to keep our costs at $225 per bed. The increases were proposed for all Long-Term Care residential settings. If my home sees an increase in license fees, [Describe What Will Happen to Your AFH if These Increases Occur]
My home is not comparable to other Long-Term Care residential settings. I am a homeowner who opened my home to families needing the highest level of care. I struggle to understand how we are getting a highly inflated license fee, as we are considered residential and shouldn’t be subjected to barriers.
This concept is laid out in RCW 70.128.040, found here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70.128.040.
The House and Senate budget proposals suggest increasing the bed licensing fees by over 100%.
The House budget is set to increase this fee to $502 per bed in 2026 and $454 per bed in 2027. In the Senate budget, the annual license fee has a suggested increase to $450 per bed.
This increase is in addition to the current fees that AFHs are responsible for: a non-refundable processing fee of $2,750 for initial licensing and a processing fee of $700 for providers applying for a change of ownership.
These increases and fees will force me to make difficult decisions, leading to losing my staff and my inability to accept Medicaid clients. Our state has over 5,316 AFHs with 30,885 beds; 28,600 beds serve Medicaid residents. Please don’t put our vulnerable populations at risk.
How can we collaborate to support the state in ensuring my home remains operational and continues serving our vulnerable populations?
I welcome a response or questions.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Weekly Webinars
Now that your email has been sent, stay tuned! Be the first to hear updates on the legislative session by attending our weekly webinar every Friday at 1pm. See all of the upcoming webinars here.
Questions?
Contact our Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy:
Courtney Williams, MPA
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.