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 successful community transitions and failures they said followed downsizing.

Proponents of keeping the RHCs open described specific cases they said demonstrate community placements’ limits. Willis McNabb, a Rainier School employee of nearly 34 years, said closures of portions of institutions previously coincided with deaths among former residents: “After closing areas at Rainier School ... my colleagues and I saw, at least 30 obituaries. From the people that left during those closures, that's around 19 percent of a death rate.” Several parents and guardians told the committee their relatives flourished at Rainier or Yakima Valley after repeated failed community placements. Cher Kirkpatrick said her son was “stabilized” only after moving to Rainier; Mark Kirkpatrick described a supported‑living placement that left his son with frostbite after a failure to supervise an evening walk.

Speakers who work inside the institutions described the range of on‑site services — medical, dental, psychiatric and behavioral — and said the campus environment allowed residents to “roam” and participate in work and recreation in ways some community placements did not. Julianne Moore, a retired state employee and current guardian, invited legislators to tour Yakima Valley School, calling the campus “a culture of care.”

Several witnesses representing guardians and legal advocates said failures in community care have included abuse, neglect and a lack of accountability. Micah Velasquez, an attorney for guardians, said the community system has gaps in oversight and capacity and warned: “Closing Rainier School will not save the state no money. It will cost money.” Corina Taji, a former Rainier School staffer and current professional guardian, described long waits for dental care and episodes of abuse and exploitation in community settings.

Not all testimony opposed HB 1472. Stacy Dim, executive director of The Arc of Washington State, spoke in strong support of the bill, calling consolidation “fiscally responsible and aligned with best practice.” Dim said the remaining RHCs have capacity and that past closures (Interlake, Frances Haddon Morgan) were implemented without the catastrophic outcomes opponents described. Dim urged lawmakers to pair closures with committed funding and community capacity building.

Testimony also included allegations of abuse at Yakima Valley School. Rusty (last name not given) said four friends who were placed at Yakima Valley School were abused by staff; he urged lawmakers to “shut them down.” Those allegations were not litigated or resolved during the hearing; some speakers who currently work at or support the RHCs disputed portrayals that all institutional care is abusive and said modern regulatory oversight and staff training have changed conditions compared with mid‑20th century institutions.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the availability and training of State‑Operated Living Alternatives (SOLAs) and whether SOLAs provide comparable care. Representative Taylor asked whether SOLAs have the same level of care and training; several witnesses responded that SOLAs and other supported‑living providers lack the oversight, staffing and clinical resources of RHCs.

No formal committee vote or final action on HB 1472 was recorded during the hearing. The session concluded after public comment and an invitation for written testimony.

The testimony underscored the core policy tension for lawmakers: whether the state can safely and equitably transition people with the highest medical and behavioral needs into community settings, and how to reconcile fiscal and quality‑of‑care claims on both sides.