This bill seeks to rename state residential facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities in Washington, changing the term "schools" to "residential habilitation centers" to better reflect their primary function of providing habilitative support. Specifically, it renames Fircrest School to Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center, Rainier School to Rainier Residential Habilitation Center, and clarifies that Interlake School will now be referred to as Interlake Residential Habilitation Center. The bill also maintains the name Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center and includes amendments to various sections of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) to ensure consistency with the new terminology.

In addition to the name changes, the bill mandates the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to submit a report to the legislature starting December 1, 2025, detailing the capacity of residential settings, transitions of former residents from the Rainier School, and the employment status of former staff. The bill grants the Secretary of Social and Health Services authority to manage these facilities and clarifies the purposes of certain RCW sections related to the care of individuals with disabilities. A new section is introduced to address potential conflicts with federal requirements, ensuring that any conflicting parts of the act do not affect the overall operation of the remaining provisions.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 28A.190.005, 28B.30.810, 43.382.801, 71A.20.020, 71A.20.030, 71A.20.170, 71A.20.180, 71A.20.191, 71A.20.195, 72.01.050, 72.05.010
Substitute bill: 28A.190.005, 28B.30.810, 43.382.801, 71A.20.020, 71A.20.030, 71A.20.170, 71A.20.180, 71A.20.191, 71A.20.195, 72.01.050, 72.05.010
Engrossed substitute: 28A.190.005, 28B.30.810, 43.382.801, 71A.20.020, 71A.20.030, 71A.20.170, 71A.20.180, 71A.20.191, 71A.20.195, 72.01.050, 72.05.010