OLYMPIA — A bill to study how direct financial support can improve stability for families with children was heard Monday in the Senate Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 6212, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would create a families with children benefit pilot program to evaluate the impacts of providing modest, predictable monthly payments to a limited number of Washington families with school-aged children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The pilot would be administered by the Department of Commerce and designed to collect data on family financial stability, child and family well-being, and broader economic outcomes, while ensuring participants are not penalized or lose access to other public benefits.
“Strong families are the foundation of strong communities,” Nobles said. “This bill is about giving families breathing room and using real data to guide our decisions, because when parents have stability, kids benefit — and our state is much better for it.”
Follow the bill’s progress here.