Mixed testimony as committee hears arguments for and against House Bill 1472 to close or consolidate state residential habilitation centers

A state House committee heard more than two hours of public testimony about House Bill 1472 on the proposed consolidation and closure of state-operated Residential Habilitation Centers, including Yakima Valley School and Rainier School.

Supporters and opponents framed the bill as a choice between expanding community-based care and preserving a level of institutional services that some families and staff say cannot be safely replaced. Gregory Cobb, chief of police for the Union Gap Police Department, told the committee, “I have grave concerns about the potential closing of the Yakima Valley School.” He described an adult resident with autism who becomes violent and destructive, saying the family had resorted to sleeping in a trailer outside their home and that “taking away Yakima Valley School is just gonna exasperate the problem.”

The debate mattered to many testifiers because the centers serve people with high medical, behavioral and supervision needs and because the state must decide whether community alternatives provide equivalent care. That question dominated testimony from family members, current and former RHC staff, guardians and disability advocates, who gave detailed accounts of both…