This year’s legislative session will impact disability services. Cuts are on the table – but together, we can fight for community care and a strong safety net for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Act now! Budget hearings are January 12 and January 13
Cuts to disability and other essential services are coming, unless we fight for funding. Your voice will make a difference.
Tell legislators “No cuts to disability and other essential services. Protect support by building a stable financial foundation, so people get the care they need and we can all thrive.”
The Arc of King County will be testifying "other" on the governor's budget. His proposal attempts to minimize cuts next year. We appreciate that. But to save money, it calls for changing eligibility for care services in fiscal year 2028. That could kick people with disabilities off support in July 2027.
Comment here to your legislators about the House operating budget (HB 2289)
Comment here about the Senate operating budget (SB 5998)
Right now, both budget bills are identical and represent the governor’s proposal. By the end of session, each chamber will replace it with their own proposal.
TIP: When you send a comment to
your legislators, the form requires your address and phone number. For the
phone number, just enter your numbers - no parentheses or dashes. Example:
1231231234
Background: What’s going on?
- Our position paper on progressive revenue: https://bit.ly/FixFunding
Our state’s financial foundation has big cracks when it comes to health and social services. This is not new, but recent federal decisions are forcing big decisions.
Specific to developmental disabilities: Tucked into the governor’s proposed budget materials is this chilling line:
“Future Medicaid Eligibility Change: The proposal changes the policy for functional eligibility for HCLA Medicaid clients proposed to take effect in FY 28.”
This means people will lose services: HCLA is short for Home and Community Living Administration. This is the new home for personal care and community-based services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). The "change" refers to new rules in the annual assessment. People who get services now will have to meet a higher bar to keep them.
Changing the criteria means people will lose long-term care, including access to developmental disability services provided by DSHS.
And it’s not just disability services at risk of being cut. Access to medical care, childcare, homelessness prevention, and education are all at risk.
Some of these
cuts are being proposed for next year. Others, like restricting who can get disability
support, will come into play over the next few years as the state adjusts to funding
cuts and policy changes Congress made through H.R. 1.
What is H.R. 1 and does it hurt public services?
H.R. 1, also called the “Big Beautiful Bill,” is a federal bill passed in 2025. It triggered big federal cuts to food assistance, Medicaid, and more. The loss of funding is beyond what the state can back fill.
Over the next decade, federal funding for Medicaid alone is expected to fall by $911 billion, nationally. Medicaid includes our state’s Apple Health plan and long-term care – including the IDD services offered through HCLA Developmental Disabilities Community Services (the part of DSHS formerly called DDA).
The changes are putting tremendous pressure on the state to shrink its social safety net. If all this sounds familiar, it is because we’ve been through this before.
- In 2007, during the Great Recession, eligibility for services
was changed and needed investment in the care workforce was dropped. We are
still grappling with the fallout, with individuals and families experiencing
crisis because they cannot find providers and get the support they need.
-
In 2017, Congress nearly repealed the Affordable Care Act and
almost shrunk Medicaid. That year, we won a reprieve and services were saved.
- In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, people stopped buying goods and the state’s sales tax revenue plummeted. State agencies prepared to make 15% cuts. As part of that, the governor considered tightening eligibility for IDD services. In that proposal, 1 out of 3 people getting IDD services would have lost care, including people who needed significant support. Fortunately, revenue stabilized and plans were put on hold.
This time, we are facing fallout from H.R. 1 and working to minimize damage in our state.
While we are not in a recession, Washington state does not have the financial foundation to back fill the massive reduction in federal assistance and provide the same level of services. Changes are coming to health and social services. It is just a matter of how Washington state chooses to respond.
We can drop people
We can pit essential services against each other
Or, we can strengthen our revenue base and provide the support we need
It is critical for the IDD community to speak up. Tell your legislators what you need. Explain the impact loss of care would have on you. Engage now.
Tell your legislators to protect services by building a stable financial foundation, so people get the care they need and we can all thrive.
