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The Week AheadHouse Bill 1033
Restoring local control over child care decisions
Increase the availability of child care providers by allowing counties to develop their own child care licensing and regulation program with technical support from the state.
House Bill 1033
- Allows counties to license and regulate child care providers starting July 1, 2026, and repeals a previous pilot program for county regulation of family day-care centers.
- Requires counties to adopt ordinances covering standards for child care facilities and transfers licensing authority from the state to counties that enact the required ordinances, removing state oversight and liability for those providers.
- Mandates quarterly county reporting to the state on licensed providers and regulatory standards and requires a third-party study to assess the impact and effectiveness of local licensing, with a report due by October 1, 2030.
Read the text of HB 1033
House Republicans
House Bill 1777
Increasing apprenticeship programs
Make more apprenticeship programs available by expediting state approval of apprenticeship programs already approved by the federal government and reforming the competitor objection process.
House Bill 1777
- Streamlines the state approval process for apprenticeship programs that have already received federal approval, limiting state review to areas with unique state requirements.
- Requires the apprenticeship council to approve and register programs provisionally for 12 months, with permanent approval granted unless specific deficiencies or objections arise. Frivolous objections can lead to penalties, including attorney fees, fines up to $10,000, or other sanctions.
- Requires the apprenticeship council’s annual report to include a list of pending and approved programs, reasons for denials, and comparisons of Washington’s approval rates to federal and other state apprenticeship agencies.
Read the text of HB 1777
House Bill 1245
Supporting small and start-up businesses
Create an Office of Entrepreneurship to advocate for policies that make it easier to start a business and reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses and start-ups.
House Bill 1245
- Establishes the Office of Entrepreneurship (Office) and describes the various powers and duties of the Office.
