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HB 1873 - WC child care/grad. students ¶

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Section 1 ¶

1. An applicant or consumer is eligible for working connections child care when the applicant or consumer is enrolled full-time in a graduate or professional program at an institution of higher education and:

   1. The applicant or consumer's household annual income is at or below 85 percent of the state median income adjusted for family size;

   2. The child receiving care is (i) less than 13 years of age; or (ii) less than 19 years of age and has a verified special need according to department rule or is under court supervision; and

   3. The applicant or consumer's household meets all other program eligibility requirements established in this chapter or in rule by the department as authorized by RCW 43.216.055 or 43.216.065 or any other authority granted by this chapter.

2. An applicant or consumer is enrolled full-time for the purposes of this section if the applicant or consumer meets the institution of higher education's definition of a full-time student.

3. Applicants and consumers qualifying for working connections child care under this section qualify for full-time care. The department must consider an applicant or consumer's enrollment as a full-time student in a graduate or professional program at an institution of higher education as an approved activity when determining eligibility for working connections child care benefits under this section.

4. In two-parent households, the availability of the other parent may not be considered when authorizing care.

5. The department must waive the copayment to the extent allowable under federal law; otherwise, a maximum of $15 may be imposed for any applicant or consumer that meets the requirements under this section.

Section 2 ¶

(1) It is the intent of the legislature to increase working families' access to affordable, high quality child care and to support the expansion of the workforce to support businesses and the statewide economy.

Section 3 ¶

1. Effective until July 1, 2025, the department must calculate a monthly copayment according to the following schedule:

If the household's income is:

Then the household's maximum monthly copayment is:

At or below 20 percent of the state median income

Waived to the extent allowable under federal law; otherwise, a maximum of $15

Above 20 percent and at or below 36 percent of the state median income

$65

Above 36 percent and at or below 50 percent of the state median income

$90

Above 50 percent and at or below 60 percent of the state median income

$165

2. Beginning July 1, 2025, the department must calculate a monthly copayment according to the following schedule:

If the household's income is:

Then the household's maximum monthly copayment is:

At or below 20 percent of the state median income

Waived to the extent allowable under federal law; otherwise, a maximum of $15

Above 20 percent and at or below 36 percent of the state median income

$65

Above 36 percent and at or below 50 percent of the state median income

$90

Above 50 percent and at or below 60 percent of the state median income

$165

Above 60 percent and at or below 75 percent of the state median income

$215

3. Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall adopt a copayment model for households with annual incomes above 75 percent of the state median income and at or below 85 percent of the state median income. The model must calculate a copayment for each household that is no greater than seven percent of the household's countable income within this income range.

4. The department may adjust the copayment schedule to comply with federal law.

5. The department must adopt rules to implement this section.

6. This section does not apply to households eligible for the working connections child care program under RCW 43.216.808, 43.216.812, 43.216.814, and section 1 of this act.

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