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Bill to change home care aide testing drawn out for public comment after broad testimony on testing delays
Summary
Witnesses from unions, providers, senior-living operators and training programs told the committee that testing bottlenecks and limited Prometric sites block certification for home care aides; House Bill 1926 would remove a 200-day certification requirement and direct DOH and DSHS to set a timeline and expand testing at training sites.
Long-term care providers, unions and senior-living operators told the House Higher Education Committee on Feb. 18 that testing and certification delays are blocking qualified home care aides from entering the workforce. They urged passage of House Bill 1926, which would change the timeline and delivery method for home care aide (HCA) testing.
Nut graf: Testimony described multi-month waits for Prometric testing slots, sparse testing locations outside the I-5 corridor, and a backlog in Department of Health processing that leaves trained caregivers unable to get the required credential — a problem providers say worsens workforce shortages. HB 19 26 removes the statutory requirement that HCAs be…
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