Panel hears bill to remove 'school' name from residential habilitation centers

House Bill 2319 was presented to the Early Learning and Human Services Committee to update official facility names for state residential habilitation centers (RHCs).

Staff counsel Omera Harrington told the committee the bill replaces statutory references that call those facilities “schools” and requires the Department of Social and Health Services to update rules and other references. Affected facilities cited in the briefing include Fircrest School (Shoreline), Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center (Medical Lake), Rainier School (Buckley) and Yakima Valley School (Selah); the bill also addresses lingering references to the closed Interlake School.

Representative Farvar, the prime sponsor, said the change is largely terminological and does not alter operations, services or funding. He said the term residential habilitation center better reflects current services such as habilitative supports, daily living skills, medical and dental care and employment services.

Testimony from Cathy Murahashi (The Arc of Washington), Chloe Marino (Disability Rights Washington) and Sean Latham (self advocates in leadership) emphasized that calling these facilities “schools” creates public confusion—suggesting education for children rather than habilitative, mostly adult services—and said the terminology change will reduce misinformation without altering services.

The committee closed the hearing on HB 2319 and proceeded to the next agenda item.