H-1204.1

HOUSE BILL 1867

ByRepresentatives Dent, Klippert, Reeves, Eslick, Lovick, McCaslin, Griffey, Ybarra, Stonier, Valdez, Corry, and Lekanoff

AN ACT Relating to professional development requirements for child day care centers; and adding a new section to chapter 43.216 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department shall not modify the professional development requirements for child day care centers until:

(a) The state subsidy rates for working connections child care are funded at the one hundredth percentile of the market rate according to the most recent statistically valid and reliable child care market rate survey completed at the direction of the department;

(b) The educational equivalencies for the proposed professional development requirements have been established by the department; and

(c) The department has developed a method for funding the professional development requirements and educational equivalency requirements to assist the child care workforce in complying with the proposed changes.

(2) For purposes of this section, "professional development requirements" means any professional credentials including academic degrees, coursework, certificates, attendance at conferences, informal learning, or other education required for licensure by the department.

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