On the agenda: Governor's budget bills; public safety/police operations; K-12 education - counseling and equity training
Sign up for advocacy days or advocacy support!
Civics 101; 1-2:30 pm; Saturday, January 16
Advocacy Tips and Tools; 3-4:30 pm; Saturday, January 16
The state legislature convenes Monday, January 11. Here is a look at hearings and bills that disability advocates might be interested in. Highlighted names indicate legislators who represent King County.
These represent just a few of the bills under consideration this week. For the full list, please check the daily agenda here. Please note the agendas can change at any time.
All hearings are streamed on TVW. You can watch them live, or once they have been archived. This year public testimony will also be remote. You MUST sign up in advance to testify.
- Bills of interest to the DD community - This list is maintained by The Arc of Washington. It captures most bills that touch on developmental disability.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12
House Public Safety Committee; 8 am
HB 1054 - Establishing requirements for tactics and equipment used by peace officers.
Sponsors: Johnson, J., Entenman, Dolan, Ryu, Berry, Simmons, Bateman, Kloba, Lekanoff, Duerr, Fitzgibbon
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify, or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Our take: This bill does not specifically address disability, but people with disabilities are more likely to experience victimization, be arrested, be charged with a crime, and serve longer prison sentences once convicted, than those without disabilities. Individuals with developmental disabilities who also have other marginalized identities (e.g., people of color, members of indigenous communities, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+), are even more likely to get caught up in the system.
Research also suggests between a third to half of police killings involve people with disabilities, or who are experiencing episodes of mental illness
Learn more about The Arc's Disability in Criminal Justice initiative here
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Senate Ways and Means Committee; 3 pm
Hearings on the governor's proposed budgets:
SB 5092 - Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. (Remote testimony.)
- K-12 public schools. (Remote testimony.)
- Higher education. (Remote testimony.)
- Early learning. (Remote testimony.)
- Employee compensation. (Remote testimony.)
- Mental health. (Remote testimony.)
- Human services. (Remote testimony.)
- Natural resources. (Remote testimony.)
- All other. (Remote testimony.)
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify, or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Governor recommendation summaries
Our take/ DDA investment: As part of its budget process the governor's office asked state agencies to identify 15% in savings. The savings identified by DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration and Aging and Long-Term Supports Administration relied on changing eligibility for Medicaid long-term supports. Models they ran showed about 1 out of 3 DDA clients served in the community losing all support. Overall, about quarter of DDA clients getting services would lose them. This is partly due to the loss of the federal match dollars.
In the end, the governor did not include these cuts in his budget proposal. However, his proposal relies on the legislature passing a new capital gains tax. It is uncertain what his recommendations are if the legislature fails to pass such a tax. The governor did request some additional investments in DDA supports: 15 out-of-home placement slots for youth; increased capacity in the Children's Intensive In-Home Behavior Supports waiver; increased capacity on the Basic Plus waiver for students transitioning to employment supports. You can read his proposal for DDA here
Our take/ Special education: The governor does not include additional investment in special education to address compensatory education due to COVID-19. He does not address the cap on special education funding. He does recommend investing in internet access and counselors at high poverty schools. He also recommends expanded learning opportunities for general education students most in need of interventions; and he recommends funding for required paraeducator training.
The Arc of Washington's operating budget side by side (what is in the bills, and whether The Arc and other DD advocates support)
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SB 5083 - Concerning the capital budget. (Remote testimony.)
- K-12 public schools. (Remote testimony.)
- Higher education. (Remote testimony.)
- Human services. (Remote testimony.)
- Natural resources. (Remote testimony.)
- All other. (Remote testimony.)
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify, or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Our take: The governor's capitol plan does not address housing specific to people with developmental disabilities; it does include $120 million to design a large, congregate care nursing facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also includes $40 million to remodel segregated, adult training facilities at Fircrest, the large, congregate residential habilitation center in King County. There are about 120,000 people with developmental disabilities in Washington; Fircrest serves about 200.
The governor proposes a $1.02 billion investment in the housing trust fund, which would fund projects for low-income families and individuals but not necessarily address the unique needs of the developmental disabilities community for community-based, supportive options.
- Capital project details
- The Arc of Washington's capital budget side by side (what is in the bills, and whether The Arc and other DD advocates support)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13
Senate Early Learning and & K-12 Education Committee, 10:30 am
SB 5030 - Developing comprehensive school counseling programs.
Sponsors: Mullet, Wellman
Bill summary: Requires school districts to develop and implement a written plan for a comprehensive school counseling program by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Requires school counselors to implement the plan and spend at least 80 percent of their work time providing direct and indirect services to students.
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
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SB 5044 - Concerning professional learning, equity, cultural competency, and dismantling institutional racism in the public school system.
Sponsors: Das, Wellman
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Our take: This proposal goes beyond the usual call for teacher professional development and also calls out training for school board members and school district superintendents. While its primary focus is racial bias, training calls out inclusion and intersectional identities (disability, sexuality, gender).
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Senate Ways and Means, 4 pm
5096 - Concerning an excise tax on gains from the sale or exchange of certain capital assets
Sponsor: Robinson (at request of the Office of Financial Management)
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Capital gains tax Q&A (prepared by the Department of Revenue)
Governor's policy and budget highlights (see page 63)
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Thursday, January 14
House Capital Budget Committee, 8 am
HB 1080 - Concerning the capital budget.
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Our take: The governor's capitol plan does not address housing specific to people with developmental disabilities; it does include $112 million to design a large, congregate care nursing facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also includes $40 million to remodel segregated, adult training facilities at Fircrest, the large, congregate residential habilitation center in King County. There are about 120,000 people with developmental disabilities in Washington; Fircrest serves about 200.
The governor proposes a $1.02 billion investment in the housing trust fund, which would fund projects for low-income families and individuals but not necessarily address the unique needs of the developmental disabilities community for community-based, supportive options.
The Arc of Washington's capital budget side by side (what is in the bills, and whether The Arc and other DD advocates support)
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House Public Safety Committee; 1:30 pm
HB 1089 - Concerning compliance audits of requirements relating to peace officers and law enforcement agencies.
Sponsors: Ramos, Goodman, Leavitt
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
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HB 1092 - Concerning law enforcement data collection.
Sponsors: Lovick, Goodman, Berry, Leavitt, Fitzgibbon, Johnson, J.
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
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House Appropriations; 3:30 pm
HB 1094 - Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. (Governor's proposal)
Comment on this bill (Comments go to your legislators)
Sign up to testify or submit position for the record. Testimony can be live or written. Testimony goes to the committee members hearing the bill
Governor recommendation summaries
Our take/ DDA investment: As part of its budget process the governor's office asked state agencies to identify 15% in savings. The savings identified by DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration and Aging and Long-Term Supports Administration relied on changing eligibility for Medicaid long-term supports. Models they ran showed about 1 out of 3 DDA clients served in the community losing all support. Overall, about quarter of DDA clients getting services would lose them. This is partly due to the loss of the federal match dollars.
In the end, the governor did not include these cuts in his budget proposal. However, his proposal relies on the legislature passing a new capital gains tax. It is uncertain what his recommendations are if the legislature fails to pass such a tax. The governor did request some additional investments in DDA supports: 15 out-of-home placement slots for youth; increased capacity in the Children's Intensive In-Home Behavior Supports waiver; increased capacity on the Basic Plus waiver for students transitioning to employment supports. You can read his proposal for DDA here
Our take/ Special education: The governor does not include additional investment in special education to address compensatory education due to COVID-19. He does not address the cap on special education funding. He does recommend investing in internet access and counselors at high poverty schools. He also recommends expanded learning opportunities for general education students most in need of interventions; and he recommends funding for required paraeducator training.The Arc of Washington's operating budget side by side (what is in the bills, and whether The Arc and other DD advocates support)
