Human Services Committee advances a package of bills, adopts changes to DDA waiver priorities and Clemency board rules; confirms four gubernatorial appointees

The Human Services Committee voted in executive session to recommend that a package of bills move forward, adopting several amendments on the committee floor and recommending confirmation of four gubernatorial appointees.

The most contested items were House Bill 1130, which revises priority groups for open Home and Community-Based waiver slots administered by the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1131, which expands and changes membership and standards for the Clemency and Pardons Board. Both bills, as amended in committee, were recommended for passage and referral to the Rules Committee.

Why it matters: the committee’s actions affect eligibility and prioritization for disability waiver slots, the makeup and duties of the state clemency board, child-welfare housing assistance, and several other programs that rely on state appropriations or administrative rulemaking. Several items carried fiscal notes or were explicitly “subject to appropriations,” highlighting budget implications for the 2025–27 biennium.

What the committee did (key bills and outcomes)

- House Bill 1028 (Child violence): Committee staff summarized the bill as expanding the scope of services at child advocacy centers to include children who have witnessed or been exposed to violence and to allow forensic interviews in certain closed cases. The committee moved that the bill receive a due-pass recommendation to Rules; the motion carried and the bill was reported out “subject to signatures.” (Fiscal impact: staff reported no fiscal impact.)

- House Bill 1130 (DDA waiver priority list): Committee staff described the bill as directing DDA to prioritize specific populations when filling open waiver slots and to routinely publish related data. A striking amendment and two follow-on amendments were considered in committee. An amendment that would have removed persons found incompetent to stand trial due to a developmental disability from the priority list failed on the floor. A separate amendment (A2) adding persons eligible under a community protection waiver to the priority list passed and was rolled into the striking amendment. The committee then moved that the bill, as amended, receive a due-pass recommendation to Rules; that motion carried. (Fiscal note: one-time $158,000 FY26.)

- Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1131 (Clemency and Pardons Board): The bill, which would expand the board from five to 10 members, increase compensation and training requirements, and authorize Department of Corrections (DOC) supervision in conditional commutation cases, was discussed with three offered amendments. The committee adopted an amendment replacing an undefined requirement for someone "with lived experience in a community of color" with a definition referencing RCW 43.18A.010 and language from the Nothing About Us Without Us Act to clarify the meaning of "direct lived experience." An amendment that would have barred board members from using controlled substances or undergoing substance abuse treatment while serving failed. Another amendment proposing to replace the phrase "when the sentence no longer serves the interests of justice" with the undefined term "extraordinary cases" failed. The committee voted to recommend the bill be sent to Rules as amended. (Fiscal notes: approximately $16,000 for member compensation and travel in the biennium; DOC estimated supervision costs under $50,000.)

- Substitute House Bill 1177 (Child welfare housing assistance): The committee dispensed with a public hearing because the House bill is identical to its Senate companion. Staff said DCYF must be directed to serve families eligible for the program even after child-protective services close and to eliminate related wait lists, subject to appropriations. Staff reported 108 families currently on the wait list and estimated serving them could cost roughly $2 million per year; the bill was referred to Ways and Means.

- Engrossed House Bill 1185 (Correctional Industries Advisory Committee): The bill would add two voting members from underrepresented populations with direct lived experience who are not currently in total confinement; staff reported an indeterminate fiscal impact under $50,000 per year. The committee recommended the bill for Rules.

- Substitute House Bill 1272 (Children in Crisis): The bill would extend an existing rapid-response team and project director for two years (through June 30, 2027). Staff reported a fiscal note of $6,500,000 for the 2025–27 biennium. The bill was recommended to Ways and Means.

- House Bill 1385 and House Bill 1490 (background checks): The committee recommended bills that would allow the state to join the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (HB 1385) and add specificity to fingerprint-based background-check requirements for certain facilities including transitional care (HB 1490). Staff reported no fiscal impact for HB 1385; HB 1490 was referred to Rules.

- Second Substitute House Bill 1391 (Juvenile diversion records/data): The bill would remove juvenile diversion from a youth’s criminal history, prevent parents/guardians from blocking a juvenile from diversion, and require new diversion reporting from the Administrative Office of the Courts. Staff reported a fiscal note of $529,000 for the biennium for data work at the AOC; the committee recommended referral to Ways and Means.

- Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1815 (Prison riot offenses): The bill redefines or narrows the definition of "prison riot" for some facilities and creates a new Class B felony for a distinct juvenile confinement riot offense in certain situations; an offered amendment to narrow riot application failed on the floor. Staff reported an AOC fiscal estimate of roughly $18,000 tied to court costs, and the committee recommended the bill for Rules.

Votes at a glance: every bill considered in the executive session was reported out with the committee’s recommendation (many “due pass” to Rules or referral to Ways and Means) and recorded as “passed subject to signatures” in the committee minutes. Several proposed amendments failed on the floor (notably the amendment to exclude persons found incompetent to stand trial from the DDA priority list and the substance-use restriction for Clemency and Pardons Board members); other amendments (notably A2 to HB 1130 and the definition amendment to HB 1131) were adopted.

Gubernatorial appointees: Committee members recommended confirmation of four gubernatorial appointees: Jeffrey Patnode (reappointment to the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board), Corey McNally (new ISRB member), Megan Kelly Stallings (new ISRB member), and Michael McKillop (reappointment as Director, Department of Services for the Blind). Each nomination was reported with a confirmation recommendation and will be forwarded subject to signatures.

Discussion and context: Committee staff provided bill summaries and fiscal notes during the executive session. Senator Christian repeatedly emphasized community safety concerns while arguing for or against amendments, saying, for example, that board members advising the governor "are literally giving advice to the governor on who to let out of jail early," and arguing certain standards should protect the public. Other committee members urged inclusion of vulnerable populations in waiver prioritization and cautioned against excluding people in need of basic supports. Several senators also flagged fiscal constraints when considering expansion of child-welfare housing assistance.

What’s next: Bills recommended to Rules will await scheduling on the floor; items referred to Ways and Means will go to that committee for budgetary review. The committee recorded its recommendations and adjourned after confirming the four gubernatorial appointees.

Ending: The chair adjourned the committee after thanking members and noting that one bill (the mandated-reporting bill) would not be taken up in executive session that day and will return for further work at a future meeting.