Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Early Learning & Human Services Committee
HB 2319
Brief Description: Renaming certain state residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities.
Sponsors: Representatives Farivar and Penner.
Brief Summary of Bill

  • Renames Fircrest School, Rainier School, and Yakima Valley School as Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center, Rainier Residential Habilitation Center, and Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.

  • Renames the historical Interlake School as Interlake Residential Habilitation Center.
Hearing Date: 1/13/26
Staff: Omeara Harrington (786-7136).
Background:

Department of Social and Health Services Developmental Disabilities Services.
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with obtaining services and supports based on individual preferences, capabilities, and needs.  Clients may live in the community or in an institutional setting such as a residential habilitation center (RHC).

 

Residential Habilitation Centers.
The DSHS operates four RHCs that provide residential support in an institutional setting for clients with developmental disabilities.  Examples of services provided at the RHCs include habilitative services, active treatment, training in daily living skills, medical and dental services, employment services, and behavioral supports.  The RHCs generally only serve clients age 21 and older, though clients age 16 and older may be served on a short-term basis for respite or crisis stabilization services when no appropriate service options are available in the community.  The RHCs are federally certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as either an intermediate care facility (ICF) that provides individualized habilitative services, a nursing facility that is capable of caring for clients with unique medical needs, or both.

 

The four RHCs are:

  • Fircrest School in Shoreline, which includes a nursing facility and an ICF; 
  • Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center in Medical Lake, which includes a nursing facility and an ICF;
  • Rainier School in Buckley, which is an ICF; and
  • Yakima Valley School in Selah, which is a nursing facility.

 

Statutory references to an additional RHC, Interlake School, remain in the Revised Code of Washington.  The Interlake School was closed by the state in 1994.
Summary of Bill:

The residential habilitation centers are officially renamed "residential habilitation centers," and references to "school" are removed.  Specifically:

  • Fircrest School is renamed Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center;
  • Rainier School is renamed Rainier Residential Habilitation Center; and
  • Yakima Valley School is renamed Yakima Valley Residential Habilitation Center.

 

Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center will retain its current name.  References to the former Interlake school will be to Interlake Residential Habilitation Center.

 

Any existing references to Fircrest School, Rainier School, or Yakima Valley School retain full force and effect as would a reference to the updated names.  The Department of Social and Health Services must update rules and make other changes necessary to reflect the new facility names.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.