(1) A resident is a person (including an emancipated person under age 18 and a married person under age 18 who is capable of indicating intent) who currently lives in Washington and:

(a) Intends to reside here, including persons without a fixed address; or

(b) Entered the state looking for a job; or

(c) Entered the state with a job commitment.

(2) A person does not need to live in the state for a specific period of time prior to meeting the requirements in subsection (1) of this section before being considered a resident.

(3) A child under age eighteen who is not covered by subsection (1) of this section, is a resident if:

(a) The child lives in the state, with or without a fixed address, including with a custodial parent or caretaker; or

(b) The child's parent or caretaker is a resident as defined in subsection (1) of this section.

(4) A resident applying for or receiving health care coverage can temporarily be out of the state for more than one month without their health care coverage being denied or terminated, if the person:

(a) Intends to return to the state once the purpose of his or her absence has been accomplished and provides adequate information of this intent after a request by the agency or its designee; and

(b) Has not been determined eligible for medicaid or state-funded health care coverage in another state (other than coverage in another state for incidental or emergency health care).

(5) A person who enters Washington state only for health care is not a resident and is not eligible for any medical program. The only exception is for a person who moves from another state directly into an institution in Washington state. Residency rules for institutionalized persons are described in WAC 182-503-0525.

(6) A person of any age who receives a state supplemental payment (SSP) is considered a resident of the state that is making the payment.

(7) A person who receives federal payments for foster or adoption assistance is considered a resident of the state where the person physically resides even if:

(a) The person does not live in the state that is making the foster or adoption assistance payment; or

(b) The person does not live in the state where the adoption agreement was entered.

(8) In a dispute between states, the state of residence is the state in which the person is physically located.