SB 6078

S-3699.3
  SENATE BILL 6078
State of Washington  69th Legislature       2026 Regular Session
By Senators   Slatter,   C.   Wilson,   Bateman,   Hasegawa,   Nobles,   and
Saldaña
Read first time 01/13/26.     Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
1     AN ACT Relating to providing prelicensing supports to individuals
2 interested in becoming a licensed child care provider; amending RCW
3 43.216.265; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 RCW; and adding a
4 new section to chapter 19.27 RCW.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
6     Sec. 1.   RCW 43.216.265 and 2025 c 150 s 3 are each amended to
7 read as follows:
8     The chief of the Washington state patrol, through the director of
9 fire protection, shall have the power and it shall be his or her
10 duty:
11     (1) In consultation with the secretary and with the advice and
12 assistance of persons representative of the various type agencies to
13 be licensed, to adopt recognized minimum standard requirements
14 pertaining to each category of agency established pursuant to this
15 chapter necessary to protect all persons residing therein from fire
16 hazards;
17     (2) To adopt licensing minimum standard requirements to allow
18 children who attend classes in a school building during school hours
19 to remain in the same building to participate in before-school or
20 after-school programs and to allow participation in such before-
21 school and after-school programs by children who attend other schools
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1 and are transported to attend such before-school and after-school
2 programs;
3     (3) To make or cause to be made such prelicensing consultations,
4 inspections, and investigations of agencies as he or she deems
5 necessary;
6     (4) To make a periodic review of requirements under RCW
7 43.216.250(8) and to adopt necessary changes after consultation as
8 required in subsection (1) of this section;
9     (5) To issue to applicants for licenses under this chapter who
10 comply with the requirements, a certificate of compliance, a copy of
11 which shall be presented to the department before a license shall be
12 issued, except that an initial license may be issued as provided in
13 RCW 43.216.315;
14     (6) When a child care center is operated in a dedicated space
15 within an existing building that has more than one use, to calculate
16 the occupancy load of the child care center based only on the area in
17 the building where the child care services are provided.
18     NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.216
19 RCW to read as follows:
20     (1)(a) Within existing resources, the department may provide
21 services to individuals interested in obtaining a child care license.
22 The purpose of these prelicensing supports is to help individuals
23 navigate the licensing application process for child care centers,
24 family home providers, outdoor nature-based child care providers, and
25 school-age child care programs.
26     (b) Prelicensing supports may relate to, but are not limited to,
27 the following topics:
28     (i) Completing the application process;
29     (ii) Understanding licensing requirements provided in the
30 department's rules;
31     (iii) Navigating the complexities of the facilities development
32 process;
33     (iv) Operating a child care facility in different regions of the
34 state; and
35     (v) Accessing information and resources related to the different
36 types of child care licenses.
37     (2) Within existing resources, the department may develop and
38 publish online a child care licensing resource guide for individuals
39 interested in obtaining a license to operate a child care center when
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1  the individual submits a permit application to a city or county. The
2  child care licensing resource guide must include how individuals can
3  access the prelicensing supports described in subsection (1) of this
4  section   and  the  prelicensing  consultations   described  in  RCW
5  43.216.265(3).
6     NEW SECTION.   Sec. 3.   A new section is added to chapter 19.27
7 RCW to read as follows:
8     When an individual submits a permit, as required by the city or
9 county, to operate a licensed child care center, the city or county
10 shall inform the applicant that the department of children, youth,
11 and families provides prelicensing supports and publishes a child
12 care licensing resource guide as described in section 2 of this act.
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