Signed by Governor Jay Inslee

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

A vote to concur with house amendments and pass a bill to amend rules concerning background checks for applicants to the Department of Children, Youth, and families.

Highlights:

• Requires fingerprint-based background checks if: (Sec. 1)

• Is an applicant or service provider that has lived in the state for less than three years

• Is providing services to children or people with developmental disabilities

• Is an individual sixteen years or older, is not under the care of the department of children, youth, and families, and resides in an applicant or service providers home, facility, entity, agency, or business or who is authorized by the department of children, youth, and families to provide services to children

• Is an individual who is authorized to provide services to people with developmental disabilities

• Is an applicant or service provider providing at-home services funded by Medicare, community options programs, chore services, other home and community long-term care programs

• Requires state child services department to share federal fingerprint-based background checks. (Sec 1)

• Requires fees charged by the Washington state patrol and the federal bureau of investigation for fingerprint-based background checks to be paid by the department of children, youth and families for foster care and childcare applicants and service providers. (Sec 1)

• Requires fingerprint-based background checks to go through the Washington state patrol and the federal bureau of investigation (Sec 1)

• Requires fees charged by the Washington state patrol and the federal bureau of investigation for fingerprint-based background checks to be paid by the applicable department for applicants or service provider if they provide:

• Services to people with developmental disabilities

• In-home services funded by medicaid personal care

• Community options program entry system waiver services

• Chore services

• Other long-term care services not previously mentioned

• Services to people in secure facility

• Requires state department to use fingerprint-based background checks to accurately and fairly determine eligibility of applicants or service providers. (Sec 2)

• Requires department to maintain an individual-based or portable background check clearance registry. (Sec 3)

• Repeals fee for developing and administering individual-based/portable background check clearance registry as well as individual-based/portable background check clearance accounts (Sec 4)

• Rescinds bill if funding is not provided by Jun 30, 2023. (Sec 5)

Full Bill Text