ESHB 2253 — Concerning updates to the licensing division of the department of children, youth, and families.

What this bill does

Modifies licensure requirements to receive children for supervision or care (including foster care) to remove the exemption for physicians and lawyers, allows the termination of licenses for inactivity, exempts kinship care providers from completing blood-borne pathogen training, expands child-specific licenses to relatives or close family friends for placement of a specific child in the care and custody of another state who is to be placed in Washington, and removes the specification for the sex of children that a licensed individual may care for. Removes the requirement for state monitoring of the residential program at the Washington School for the Deaf and comprehensive child health and safety reviews every three years. Modifies staffing requirements in regional crisis residential centers with semi-secure facilities.

From the Washington State Legislature's nonpartisan staff bill analysis. Read the full analysis ↗

Floor votes

• House — 3rd Reading & Final Passage · February 13, 2026
  92 yea · 2 nay · 4 not voting

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Other bills sponsored by Bernbaum

• SHB 1351 — Adjusting age requirements for accessing the early childhood education and assistance program.
• SHB 1388 — Concerning mobile market programs.
• HB 1389 — Extending the expiration date for reporting requirements on timber purchases.
• ESHB 1439 — Modifying motor vehicle and driver licensing laws to align with federal definitions, making technical corrections, and streamlining requirements.
• E2SHB 1563 — Establishing a prescribed fire claims fund pilot program.