OLYMPIA – Last Friday, the Washington House of Representatives passed three bills sponsored by Rep. Darya Farivar (D-North Seattle) strengthening community access to food and medicine and affirming dignity for people with developmental disabilities. All three bills are now heading to the Senate.
HB 2294 removes outdated, anti-competitive property restrictions that block new grocery stores and pharmacies from opening in vacant buildings. These “negative use covenants” are sometimes placed on properties when a store closes, preventing another grocery or pharmacy from moving in.
Rep. Farivar pointed to the closure of the major grocery store and last pharmacy in her Lake City neighborhood, leaving a boarded-up building and residents without nearby access to fresh food or prescriptions.
“When a company leaves, they have that right,” Farivar said. “But they should not get to decide that no one else can serve the community. These covenants create artificial food deserts and limit opportunity for small, independent grocers.”
HB 2294 prohibits most new restrictive covenants that prevent grocery or pharmacy use, while preserving reasonable exceptions for legitimate relocations and retail centers. The bill also provides enforcement tools for the Attorney General and local governments.
Census data shows that 18–39% of residents along Lake City Way do not have access to a car. “Your zip code should never determine whether you have access to fresh, affordable food,” Farivar said. “This bill reduces scarcity, increases competition, and improves affordability for families, seniors, and people with disabilities.”
The House also passed HB 2319, which renames the state’s residential facilities for people with developmental disabilities to reflect modern values and services.
The bill updates the names of:
- Fircrest School to Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center
- Rainier School to Rainier Residential Habilitation Center
These facilities are not schools. They are residential habilitation centers that provide medical, behavioral, and daily living supports for adults with developmental disabilities.
“Words matter,” Farivar said. “Calling these facilities ‘schools’ reflects a time when people with disabilities were segregated and denied basic rights. Today, people with developmental disabilities have the right to education, community living, and self-determination. This change affirms that progress.”
The House also passed HB 2350, strengthening transparency and accountability at residential habilitation centers (RHC’s). When an RHC is found to be out of compliance with federal health and safety standards, HB 2350 requires the Department of Social and Health Services to promptly notify residents, families, and guardians and to clearly post that information at the facility itself. Notices must explain what the violation is, how it could affect resident safety, and what steps are being taken to fix the problem.
“RHC’s must keep people safe and provide active treatment,” Farivar said. “Families deserve to know when standards aren’t being met and deserve transparency and real accountability so residents can receive the care they deserve”.