Sen. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) introduced a bill providing a new set of protections for seniors in independent living facilities.
Current law contains legal protections for seniors in licensed elder care facilities that provide more complex care like memory care. But many seniors and aging Washingtonians don’t need that level of care and live in independent living facilities like condominiums and apartment building complexes that aren’t licensed and have no special protections for residents.
“I’ve heard many complaints from some of my elder constituents about mistreatment at the hands of the people running the building where they live but too often, there’s no recourse unless they are willing to hire a lawyer and sue or move,” Bateman said. “Washingtonians aging in these facilities that support more independence deserve protections just like those in more hands-on, licensed facilities do. When I was in the House, we held a town hall at a senior living facility with our former Senator Sam Hunt and Representative Beth Doglio, and you wouldn’t believe some of the stories our neighbors shared. Our seniors have spent their lives working and contributing to society, and they deserve to age in dignity. Since these facilities are not registered, so we don’t even know how many there are.”
A budget proviso in the 2025-27 operating budget would have created a registry of senior independent living facilities as a first step towards these consumer protections. That proviso was line-item vetoed.
SB 6153 would create a registry of senior independent living facilities and charge a fee on these facilities to fund the cost of the registry, along with a new ombuds office that would be able to act as a consumer protection advocate. It also authorizes enforcement of certain residential landlord-tenant act violations under the consumer protection act.
“Our ombuds positions do good work for our seniors in assisted living facilities,” Bateman said. “Our independent living seniors deserve that same protection.”
The Bonaventure Senior Living company, which operates 10 senior living facilities in Washington, recently paid a $7 million fine following a consumer protection investigation for neglect of residents in 2025. This investigation and fine through the Attorney General’s office was made possible through the long-term care ombuds program – a protection which exists for assisted living facility residents and not independent living residents. This is an example of the consumer protection enforcement that SB 6153 would make possible if passed into law.
