The legislature finds that requiring intelligence quotient testing to determine if a person has an intellectual or developmental disability is expensive, inaccessible to marginalized communities, complicated to receive, and time consuming for families already struggling to care for their child with an intellectual or developmental disability. Further, the legislature finds that intelligence quotient testing does not accurately indicate whether a person needs support to be personally and socially productive, which is the goal of the developmental disabilities administration outlined in RCW 71A.10.015. Therefore, the legislature finds that requiring intelligence quotient testing in assessing whether a person has an intellectual or developmental disability is not an appropriate diagnostic tool and eliminating the use of intelligence quotient scores has been a goal of the legislature for more than 40 years.
This section modifies existing section 71A.16.020. Here is the modified chapter for context.
A person is eligible for services under this title if the secretary finds that the person has a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020.
The secretary may adopt rules further defining and implementing the criteria in the definition of "developmental disability" under RCW 71A.10.020. Beginning July 1, 2025, the administration may not use intelligence quotient scores as a determinant of developmental disability. The administration shall maintain eligibility for the administration's services for any persons determined eligible after the age of 18 who were determined eligible using an intelligence quotient score under criteria in place prior to July 1, 2025. The administration shall not disenroll any client upon review at 18 years old who is determined to be eligible based on standards in place prior to or after July 1, 2025.