| Social and Economic Policy Issue Team Chair: Karen Tvedt, ktvedt@lwvwa.org |
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Legislation |
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Overview of the 2025 Legislative Session By June 1, 2025, the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) is required to develop an implementation plan to expand access to Washington’s mixed delivery child care system. The plan must assume family financial contributions capped at no more than seven percent of household income and the provision of living wages and benefits for the child care workforce. The League also supported eight early care and education bills that were enacted into law in 2024 including bills to: increase timeliness in processing fingerprint background checks for prospective child care workers (SB 5774); increase access to paid sick leave (SB 5793); extend the B&O tax exemption (SB 6038); adjust billing rules for early intervention services (HB 1916); allow those eligible for or receiving basic food benefits (SNAP) to meet the income eligibility requirements for Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) and categorical eligibility for ECEAP (state pre-K) (HB 1945); reorganize and update WCCC statutes (HB 2111); make participation in ECEAP and other designated programs an approved activity for WCCC ( HB 2124 ); and strengthen the early learning facilities grant and loan program (HB 2195 ). With current state revenue challenges, expectations were modest for the 2025 Legislative Session. In coalition with the Early Learning Action Alliance and other early care and education advocates, the LWVWA focused on protecting early care and education commitments made as part of the Fair Start for Kids Act. Most immediately this included maintaining current programs and funding, advocating targeted investments, adjusting provider requirements to align with community needs, and encouraging long-term strategies to improve the sustainability and affordability of early care and education programs.
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2026 Early Childhood and K-12 Education Legislation
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
HB 2099 Expanding access to the early childhood education and assistance program for military families. Provides that military families with income above 36% of the state median income but at or below the maximum household income for Working Connections Child Care eligibility must be prioritized for available funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance (ECEAP) program slots according to a prioritization system adopted by the department. Scheduled for public hearing in House Early Learning & Human Services, Jan 16 at 8:00 am.
HB 2317 Early learning program licensing requirements. Part-day or school-day ECEAP or Head Start Programs located in a public school building or on public school property would be exempted from state child care facility licensing requirements. Scheduled for public hearing in House Early Learning & Human Services, Jan 16 at 8:00 am.
HB 2318 Early achievers quality improvement awards. Extends the availability of quality improvement awards to programs participating in ECEAP or the Head Start Program. Scheduled for public hearing in House Early Learning & Human Services, Jan 16 at 8:00 am.
HB 2219 Enhancing the operational efficiency
of child care providers. Provides
that for purposes of child care center maximum group sizes and staff-to-child
ratios, licensing standards must allow for periods of mixed-ratio time in which
children of different age groups may be combined so long as the ratio and group
size is consistent with the requirements for the youngest child in the mixed
age group. Scheduled for public hearing in House Early Learning & Human
Services, Jan 14 at 1:30 pm.
- If you are interested in a particular bill, use the links above to go to the webpage for that bill. These pages include staff summaries and reports including who testified PRO versus CON on the bill. There is also information about how to access videos of hearings that have been held.
- Read and take action through the LWVWA Legislative Action Newsletter, distributed each Sunday during the legislative session.
- You may also express your opinion on legislation with the LWVWA issue chairs. We will take your perspectives under consideration as we determine our support for legislation and prepare testimony. Please direct questions or comments to Karen Tvedt, Early Childhood & K-12 Education Issue Chair.