The Arc of King County

03/07/2026

Words matter. Actions matter.

03/06/2026

Update on budget. Unclear if there will be funds to make Medicaid whole.

Gov. Bob Ferguson and legislative Democrats reached a deal on a proposed income tax on people earning more than $1 million, clearing the way for a final vote.

03/05/2026

Action Alert on ESHB 2319! Please contact members of the Senate Rules Committee: https://bit.ly/3ORxl2n and ask them to pull ESHB 2319 to the Senate floor for a vote. This bill renames certain state residential facilities for persons with developmental disabilities. It does not change services or funding, but ensures the language in law accurately reflects the purpose of these facilities, removing the word school from their title.

03/05/2026

HB 1795 on addressing restraint and isolation passed the Senate today! While it’s a narrow bill and continued advocacy will be needed, this is an important step forward. Congratulations to the many advocates who have worked on this issue over the years to make this progress possible. If you’re interested in getting involved in this work, https://bit.ly/CEIRR_Info. Bill details: https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=1795&Year=2025

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Home  / Bills, meetings, and session  / Bills  / Bill summary  / HB 1795 Search for another bill Search for another bill or initiative Search bills by Bill Initiative Number Biennium HB 1795 - 2025-26 Addressing restraint or isolation of students in public schools and educational programs. S...

03/05/2026

Link to Toolkit: https://bit.ly/Call-in-day-toolkit Join us on March 5 for a National Call-In Day to urge Congress to protect special education and civil rights supports for students with disabilities. Families, self-advocates, educators, and community members are encouraged to call their U.S. Senators and Representatives to share how programs like Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) make a difference in their communities. Use the toolkit for tips and sample scripts, and personalize your message by speaking from your own experience. Call the capitol switch board at 202-224-3121

03/04/2026

Send a comment to your legislators: https://bit.ly/CommentToLegislators. If student safety matters to you, we need your voice! SHB 1795 is a narrow bill that limits the use of certain mechanical and chemical restraints, prohibits new construction of isolation rooms, and improves reporting requirements. This bill has cleared the Rules Committee and is now officially eligible to be debated and voted on by the full Senate chamber. The next cutoff is this Friday, March 6th for this bill to be voted out of the Senate chamber. Call or email your Senator today, share why this issue is important to you and tell them to take the next step for student safety.

03/04/2026

Unfunded mandate?
"The tab for the needed technology improvements and additional staff is likely to exceed $1 billion, according to an Associated Press analysis of budget projections in more than 25 states. That extra cost will be borne by a mixture of federal and state tax dollars."

New Medicaid work requirements signed into law by President Donald Trump are meant to save money. But states first will have to spend millions of dollars to implement them.

03/04/2026

Bill Update: Here is the status of key bills we are following. The next cut off is Friday, March 6th, when bills must pass through the opposite chamber. If the bill does not pass, it will not advance. If there is an issue that matters to you, you can take action by sending a comment directly to your legislators: (https://bit.ly/CommentToLegislators) or by commenting on a particular bill (https://bit.ly/Comment_On_Bills). Tell them to bring this bill to the floor for a vote!

03/03/2026

Woop! ANOTHER parent-organized, grassroots bill just passed. SB 2557 ensures parents get time with special education evaluation reports before meeting with school staff. Congratulations everyone who worked on it!

Home  / Bills, meetings, and session  / Bills  / Bill summary  / HB 2557 Search for another bill Search for another bill or initiative Search bills by Bill Initiative Number Biennium HB 2557 - 2025-26 Providing parental access to special education evaluation reports. Sponsors: Chase, Schmidt...

03/03/2026

Woop! SB 6268 passed. This bill maintains an online record of special education complaint decisions. Best part? This came from the grassroots - and in particular one very determined advocate. Congratulations, Julie :)

Home  / Bills, meetings, and session  / Bills  / Bill summary  / SB 6268 Search for another bill Search for another bill or initiative Search bills by Bill Initiative Number Biennium SB 6268 - 2025-26 Maintaining an online record of special education complaint decisions. Sponsors: Harris, Do...

03/02/2026

The Arc of King County is thrilled to announce “Autistic Women and Femme Voices,” a webinar/panel discussion with four panelists: Hillary Spears, Elizabeth Maher, Brittanie Pendleton, and Kouro-Maïram Baro.

This panel is open to anyone who is interested in learning about the experiences of autistic women and femmes. The panel will be held on Zoom from 2-3:30pm PST on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026.

To sign up for the event, please fill out the registration form: https://forms.gle/QkNudgGwfqfhMDti8

If you have any questions related to the panel, please email Marissa Thirion (mthirion@arcofkingcounty.org) and Zack Siddeek (Zsiddeek@Arcofkingcounty.org).