CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2505
69TH LEGISLATURE
2026 REGULAR SESSION
Passed by the House February 12, 2026
  Yeas 96  Nays 0

Speaker of the House of Representatives
Passed by the Senate March 5, 2026
  Yeas 48  Nays 0

President of the Senate
CERTIFICATE
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2505 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

Chief Clerk
Chief Clerk
Approved
FILED
Secretary of State
State of Washington

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2505

Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
ByHouse Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Eslick, Dent, Reeves, Leavitt, and Fosse; by request of Department of Social and Health Services)
READ FIRST TIME 01/30/26.
AN ACT Relating to exempting certain former foster care providers from adult family home licensure; and amending RCW 70.128.030.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 70.128.030 and 2025 c 108 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The following residential facilities ((shall be))are exempt from the operation of this chapter:
(((1)))(a) Nursing homes licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW;
(((2)))(b) Assisted living facilities licensed under chapter 18.20 RCW;
(((3)))(c) Facilities approved and certified under chapter 71A.22 RCW;
(((4)))(d) Residential treatment centers for individuals with mental illness licensed under chapter 71.24 RCW;
(((5)))(e) Hospitals licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW;
(((6)))(f) Homes for individuals with developmental disabilities licensed under chapter 74.15 RCW; and
(((7)))(g) A medical foster home, as defined in 38 C.F.R. 17.73, that is under the oversight and annually reviewed by the United States department of veterans affairs in which care is provided exclusively to three or fewer veterans, and its caregivers are in compliance with applicable state laws including any required training, certification, and background checks.
(2) The following individuals are exempt from the operation of this chapter:
(a) An individual who has or had an active license to operate as a foster family home, as defined in RCW 74.15.020, for at least three years and:
(i) Had provided personal care services, as defined in RCW 74.39A.009, for the former foster youth in the individual's care for at least three years on the date the youth exited foster care;
(ii) The only unrelated adults the individual provides personal care to in the home are the former foster youth or youths in (a)(i) of this subsection;
(iii) Does not have any founded or substantiated findings by child protective services or final substantiated findings by adult protective services; and
(iv) Is not the subject of a pending or prior adverse licensing action under RCW 74.15.130 at the time the youth in their care exits the foster care system; and
(b) An individual who is or has previously been approved by the department of children, youth, and families for a child-specific license under RCW 74.15.125 and:
(i) The only unrelated adults the individual is providing personal care to in the home are the former foster youth or youths for whom the individual received the child-specific license;
(ii) Does not have any founded or substantiated findings by child protective services or final substantiated findings by adult protective services; and
(iii) Is not the subject of a pending or prior adverse licensing action under RCW 74.15.130 at the time the youth in their care exits the foster care system.
(3) The department may establish rules to implement subsection (2) of this section.
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