Today two important bills for adult family homes were heard before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee
These two bills were requested by DSHS to make important fixes to AFH rules. Both of these bills are the result of advocacy work by the Council on behalf of our members. 
First HB 2344 deals with the definition of the “first floor” of an Adult Family Home. This rule change allows residents who may require assistance to evacuate to live above the first floor of the home if the home can evacuate in accordance with WAC 388-76-10865. This issue came to our attention when members were told they could not be licensed due to the daylight basement design of their home. We worked with RCS to get the home licensed and worked with the department to support the change in rule.
Second HB 2346 allows DSHS to issue a provisional license when a provider is unable to continue the operation of the AFH. A few years ago, the Council worked on legislation to allow DSHS to waive the application fee and delay certain training requirements if the change is occurring due to exceptional circumstances, such as the death of the provider. After implementing these provisions, it was suggested that DSHS needed legislative authority to issue provisional, temporary licenses to ensure the new operator was in compliance.
To view the hearing click here. To participate in the advocacy of the Council join us at Lobby Day on January 22nd in Olympia.
