OLYMPIA—Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB 1142 into law yesterday, a new law prime sponsored by Rep. Nicole Macri (D-Seattle) that aligns training and certification requirements for long term care workers providing in-home care for family members.
“Currently, there are over 800K unpaid family caregivers in WA caring for disabled or older family members who need support to fulfill activities of daily living. Thanks to the approval of WA Cares, we now have a way for individuals to help pay for the care they need, when they need it, so that they can age with dignity and independence. This new law will allow family caregivers to stay in the workforce with financial stability,” said Macri. “I’m thankful to the legislature and the governor for approving this bill, because it’s giving more Washingtonians the ability to care for their families on their own terms.”
HB 1142 passed out of the House on February 6 by a vote of 88 to 8 and out of the Senate on March 26 with a vote of 48 to 1.
HB 1142 standardizes training requirements for family members providing in-home care to only their family regardless of their administrative employer. It aligns requirements for family members who choose to be employed through a home care agency or a new simplified streamlined option created specifically under the WA Cares. It also facilitates a smoother transition for care recipients and paid family members in case they decide to change the employer type, as well as establishes a new category to pay spousal providers within WA Cares.
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