Bills to rename 'schools' as Residential Habilitation Centers and require compliance notices draw broad support
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Summary
Sponsors and disability advocates told the committee HB 2319 would rename outdated 'school' facilities as Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs) and HB 2350 would require DSHS to post and provide timely plain-language notices when RHCs fall out of compliance with CMS conditions; advocates argued the changes improve clarity, transparency and family ability to protect residents.
Allison Mendiola, committee staff, briefed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2319 and Substitute House Bill 2350 to the Senate Human Services Committee on Feb. 18.
HB 2319 would change statutory names for several state-operated developmental-disability institutions (for example, renaming Fircrest School to Fircrest Residential Rehabilitation Center) to reflect current functions; staff said RHCs primarily serve adults and that existing references to former names would remain in effect. The briefing said the bill carries a fiscal note showing no cost.
HB 2350 would require the Department of Social and Health Services to provide notice when an RHC is found out of compliance with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conditions of participation. The bill would require DSHS to provide notices within 10 days of an initial statement of deficiencies, to include the reason(s) for noncompliance, a plain-language summary of impact on residential safety, and to post notices prominently in a place visible to residents, visitors and prospective placements; notices must be in English and any other resident-requested languages.
Representative Daria Farver (46th LD), sponsor of both bills, said removing "school" from facility names corrects public confusion that previously led to media and constituent misunderstanding about proposals to close schools; she argued the rename reflects the facilities' current role as residential habilitation centers rather than educational institutions. Farver also said she learned Rainier recently fell out of compliance with CMS active-treatment requirements and that families lacked a statutory mechanism to be notified.
Advocates from Disability Rights Washington, The Arc of Washington, self-advocate groups and the Developmental Disabilities Ombuds testified in support. Chloe Marino (Disability Rights Washington) and Kathy Murahashi (The Arc) said the renaming will reduce confusion and that HB 2350’s posting and notification provisions will help families take action, request transfers, and hold facilities and DSHS accountable. They cited Rainier’s 2023 decertification and closures as an example of why transparency matters.
Witnesses asked that Yakima Valley School be explicitly included in renaming language for consistency. Noah Seidel (Office of Developmental Disability Ombuds) described routine visits to RHCs and said residents and guardians often do not know when citations or deficiencies occur; he said the bill would improve informed decision-making about placements.
The committee closed hearings on HB 2319 and HB 2350 and adjourned for the day.