SB 6206 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Establishing a pilot program that incentivizes child care providers to care for children of first responders.

SB 6206 establishes a two-year pilot program to help child care providers serve children of first responders by offering state grants. Licensed child care providers who care for first responders' children - such as firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, and behavioral health professionals - may receive incentive payments, with priority given to those offering nonstandard hours, short-notice care, or care during illness. The program selects four Washington jurisdictions (north/south, east/west of the Cascades) to match state grants with local funds, requiring a plan for funding. By November 2029, the state must report on the program’s impact on first responder recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 19, 2026 Last action Feb 4, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand eligibility to include volunteer first responders, add a formal definition for 'local jurisdiction,' and significantly expand the legislation to include amendments to the sales tax code. These changes ensure the program covers unpaid emergency workers and clarify which government entities can apply, while also establishing a new tax mechanism to fund related criminal justice training requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a standalone child care incentive program to a broader legislative package that includes amendments to the sales and use tax code (RCW 82.14.345) to fund criminal justice training.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded the definition of 'first responders' to explicitly include 'volunteer' first responders in addition to paid ones, ensuring child care incentives are available to unpaid emergency workers.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'local jurisdiction,' clarifying that it includes counties, cities, or incorporated towns to prevent ambiguity in grant distribution.

FISCAL

Added a new section (Sec. 2) that amends the sales tax code to allow cities and counties to impose a sales tax to fund criminal justice training, linking this tax authority to the grant program.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the sales tax amendment to require cities and counties to meet specific criminal justice training standards (RCW 43.101.540) before they can impose the tax or receive grants.

ENFORCEMENT

Introduced new enforcement mechanisms for the sales tax, including a 45-day verification period and a penalty where the state treasurer can withhold $100,000 monthly from non-compliant jurisdictions.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill title to reflect the addition of the sales tax amendment and updated the reading date from January 19, 2026, to February 4, 2026.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 4, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.

upper

Jan 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.

upper

1 primary · 9 co-sponsors