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Evergreen Ledger

SHB 1490

Signed

House

Background checks

Concerning fingerprint-based background checks.

How does a bill become law?
  1. Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
  2. Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
  3. Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
  4. Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
  5. Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
  6. Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
Introduced: February 13, 2025
Last Action: April 16, 2025
Status: C 46 L 25
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AI Analysis

This analysis was generated by AI and may contain errors. It is not legal advice. Always refer to the official bill text for authoritative information.
People & CommunitiesPeople-leaningCorporate & Wealthy Interests

This bill expands and clarifies fingerprint-based background check requirements for workers and service providers in long-term care and child welfare settings across Washington State. It ensures thorough background screening—including federal checks—for anyone who may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations, and specifies which groups must be fingerprinted and when.

  • Requires fingerprint-based background checks through both the Washington State Patrol and FBI for applicants and service providers who will have unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, children, or juveniles in long-term care or child welfare settings.
  • Expands fingerprinting requirements to include administrators and entity representatives of licensed facilities (e.g., adult family homes, assisted living, community residential homes), even if they do not provide direct care.
  • Requires fingerprinting for individuals 16 years or older who live in homes where children or vulnerable adults receive services (e.g., companion homes, child placement homes).
  • Allows a 120-day provisional hiring period for applicants whose background checks are pending, provided they are not immediately disqualified.
  • Mandates that state departments pay fingerprinting fees for applicants in certain programs (e.g., developmental disability services, Medicaid personal care, community options program, secure facilities).

Who is affected

  • Long-term care workers and service providers — Must submit fingerprints for background checks through both Washington State Patrol and FBI if applying for or working in roles with unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, children, or juveniles in long-term care settings (e.g., residential habilitation centers, transitional care facilities, community residential homes).
  • Child welfare workers and caregivers — Must submit fingerprints if applying for or working in roles with unsupervised access to children or juveniles—including in group care facilities, foster/adoptive placements, or child placement homes—even if not directly providing care.
  • Facility licensees, administrators, and entity representatives — Must submit fingerprints if applying for or working in licensed or certified facilities such as adult family homes, assisted living facilities, enhanced services facilities, or certified community residential service providers—including administrators and entity representatives.
  • Staff in secure facilities and tribal/aging service providers — Must submit fingerprints if applying for or working at secure facilities under chapter 71.09 RCW (e.g., sex offender treatment programs), or if employed by area agencies on aging or federally recognized tribes providing services to vulnerable populations.
  • Applicants with pending background checks — May be hired provisionally for up to 120 days while background checks are pending, if not immediately disqualified.
Effective: July 1, 2025Fiscal impact: The Department of Social and Health Services and Department of Children, Youth, and Families will pay fingerprint background check fees for most applicants and service providers (e.g., those in developmental disability services, Medicaid personal care, community options program, chore services, and secure facilities). The bill does not specify new funding sources, so costs will likely be covered through existing program budgets.
Model: Intel/Qwen3-Coder-Next-int4-AutoRoundGenerated: Mar 19, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Pro/Con Analysis

Potential Benefits (5)

  • Mandating dual-state (WSP + FBI) fingerprinting for all individuals with unsupervised access to vulnerable populations significantly enhances screening accuracy and reduces risk of hiring individuals with out-of-state criminal histories, directly protecting children, elderly, and disabled individuals from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

    Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (1), (2), (4)

  • State payment of fingerprinting fees for low-income applicants in Medicaid personal care, developmental disability services, and community options programs removes a financial barrier to employment—particularly for direct care workers, many of whom earn near minimum wage—potentially increasing workforce stability and reducing turnover.

    FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (7)

  • Including facility administrators and entity representatives in fingerprinting requirements closes a gap where leadership in licensed homes could exert influence over care quality or oversight without being subject to background checks—strengthening accountability in facilities where abuse has historically been underreported.

    Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (2)(f), (2)(g), (2)(h)

  • Extending fingerprinting to 16+ year-olds living in homes where vulnerable populations receive services helps prevent exploitation of youth by individuals with access to the home—even if not formally employed—such as romantic partners or boarders—thereby protecting both the vulnerable service recipients and the youth themselves from potential harm.

    Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (2)(c), (4)(d)

  • The 120-day provisional hiring period allows timely staffing in critical shortage areas (e.g., rural long-term care), reducing delays that can lead to service gaps or facility closures—benefiting providers and consumers alike in underserved regions.

    Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (6)
Potential Concerns (5)

  • The 120-day provisional hiring period, while intended to reduce staffing delays, creates a window where individuals with pending background checks—including those with unresolved criminal histories—may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations, potentially increasing risk of harm to children and vulnerable adults.

    Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (6)

  • The bill mandates that state departments pay fingerprinting fees for many applicants, but does not specify new funding sources, meaning costs will likely be absorbed from existing program budgets—potentially diverting resources from direct services to vulnerable populations.

    FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (7) and fiscal impact

  • Expanding fingerprinting to facility administrators and entity representatives—including those in adult family homes and assisted living—imposes new compliance burdens on small, often family-run licensed facilities, where owners may serve as both administrator and caregiver, increasing paperwork and delays in hiring or licensing.

    Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (2)(f), (2)(g), (2)(h)

  • Requiring fingerprinting for any 16+ year-old living in a home where children or vulnerable adults receive services (e.g., companion homes, foster homes) may discourage multi-generational households or sibling caregivers from participating—especially in rural or low-income communities—by increasing administrative burden and privacy concerns for youth who are not providers.

    HousingPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (2)(c), (4)(d)

  • The bill broadens the definition of “applicant” to include individuals chosen by clients or guardians to provide services—even if unpaid—and who may be eligible for public payment—potentially subjecting informal family caregivers (e.g., adult children caring for aging parents) to state fingerprinting and background checks without clear opt-out or exemption pathways.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 1, subsection (2)(a), (4)(a)-(d)

Who Is Most Affected

Direct care workers (especially in home and community-based services)Mixed Impact

Direct care workers—many of whom are women, people of color, and low-wage earners—will benefit from fee waivers and expanded eligibility for state jobs, but may face longer hiring timelines due to background check processing delays.

Small long-term care facility owners and administratorsNegative Impact

Small facility operators (e.g., adult family home owners) will face new compliance costs and administrative burdens, especially if they serve as both owner and administrator—potentially discouraging new licenses or encouraging consolidation into larger providers.

Foster and adoptive familiesNegative Impact

Foster and adoptive families—including kinship caregivers—may be impacted by fingerprinting requirements for all adults in the home aged 16+, which could deter participation or delay placements, especially in multigenerational households.

Vulnerable adults and children receiving long-term care or child welfare servicesPositive Impact

Vulnerable adults and children are the primary intended beneficiaries—enhanced screening reduces risk of abuse and neglect, though some may face delays in receiving services due to hiring freezes or provisional periods.

State human services agencies (DSHS, DCYF)Mixed Impact

State agencies (DSHS, DCYF) will incur new administrative and fiscal costs to process and pay for background checks, but gain stronger legal and operational safeguards against liability from hiring individuals with undisclosed histories.