This bill adds a new eligibility path to chapter 43.216 RCW and amends two existing sections. It creates a new way for applicants to qualify for Working Connections Child Care: full-time graduate or professional students at an institution of higher education can be eligible if household annual income is at or below 85% of the state median income (adjusted for family size), the child is under 13 or under 19 with a verified special need or under court supervision, and other program requirements are met. The bill defines “enrolled full-time” for this path using the institution’s definition, requires that qualifying students receive full-time care and that full-time enrollment be treated as an approved activity, prohibits considering the other parent’s availability in two-parent households for these cases, and requires the department to waive copayments to the extent allowed by federal law (with a maximum copayment of $15 if full waiver is not permitted). The bill reenacts and amends RCW 43.216.802 to state legislative intent, preserve existing eligibility at or below 60% of state median income (SMI), expand eligibility to households above 60% and at or below 75% SMI beginning July 1, 2025, and expand eligibility to households above 75% and at or below 85% SMI beginning July 1, 2027 subject to appropriations. It requires that, beginning November 1, 2024, households in assistance units eligible for or receiving basic food benefits (SNAP or the state food assistance program) be treated as meeting income eligibility, prohibits considering a child’s citizenship status for eligibility, directs the department to adopt rules including an income phase-out period, and exempts certain households referenced in other RCW sections from some income and copayment provisions. The bill amends RCW 43.216.804 to set copayment schedules: effective until July 1, 2025, specified bands and maximum monthly copayments apply (at or below 20% SMI: waived to the extent allowed federally or max $15; >20%–36%: $65; >36%–50%: $90; >50%–60%: $165). Beginning July 1, 2025, the same bands apply and add >60%–75% with a $215 maximum; subject to appropriation, the department must adopt a copayment model for households >75%–85% SMI with copayments no greater than 7% of countable income. The department may adjust copayments to comply with federal law and must adopt rules to implement these provisions. The text repeatedly refers to “the department” but does not identify which agency, and it does not provide the precise RCW number for the new section, the calculation method for state median income, the department rule definition of “verified special need,” details of the >75%–85% copayment model beyond the 7% cap, or the contents of the referenced RCW sections that are exempted.

If enacted, the bill would let parents who are enrolled full-time in graduate or professional programs qualify for Working Connections Child Care when their household income is at or below specified percentages of the state median income, require the program to provide full‑time care for those students, and bar counting the other parent’s availability when approving care. It also phases in expanded income eligibility for the program (adding >60–75% SMI in July 2025 and potentially >75–85% SMI in July 2027 if funded), treats households getting SNAP or state food assistance as income-eligible starting November 1, 2024, and requires the department to waive copayments for the new student pathway to the extent federal law allows (or limit any copay to $15). The bill sets specific copayment bands and amounts for other income tiers and requires the department to adopt rules and a copayment model for higher-income households if money is appropriated. The people most affected are full‑time graduate and professional students with young children, who are likely to gain access to subsidized full‑time child care with little or no copay, and families in the expanded income bands who may face lower monthly copays (the bill lists specific dollar caps for various income bands and a possible cap of 7% of countable income for the highest band if funded). State administrators will need to adopt rules, implement waivers, and absorb added administrative and budget responsibilities; institutions of higher education must supply full‑time enrollment definitions. Key practical details remain unclear from the text provided: which specific state department will run the changes, how the state median income is calculated for family size, how "verified special need" is defined, and the exact copayment design for the >75–85% band pending appropriation.