---
type: "Bill"
title: "Revising economic assistance programs."
description: "Revising economic assistance programs."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "SB 6478"
citation: "Washington SB 6478 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HOMELESS PERSONS", "PUBLIC ASSISTANCE", "WOMEN", "SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES", "DEPARTMENT"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Nguyen"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 65
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2020-01-17"
last_action: "2020-04-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/baf9ef9d-a481-4eac-aeca-2bec5da77bff"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6478&year=2019"
source_hash: "e94dbdd9315477eff906b3bdcb86b3c0d9c574968ae16be6fa0283673cd82ab3"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 6478 (2019-2020) — Revising economic assistance programs.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6478.htm)
2. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6478-S2.htm)
3. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2019-20/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6478-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#10) — **30–18** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#1) — **56–41** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#36) — **30–18** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#6) — **57–40** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Nguyen — primary (person)
- Darneille — cosponsor (person)
- Das — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Saldaña — cosponsor (person)
- Stanford — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-17** First reading, referred to Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation. `reading-1`
- **2020-01-30** HSRR - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-01-30** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-30** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-03** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2020-02-11** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-02-11** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-11** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-11** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-02-17** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-18** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-01-30** HSRR - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-01-30** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-30** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-03** Referred to Ways & Means.
- **2020-02-11** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-02-11** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-11** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-11** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-02-17** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-18** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-02-11** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2020-02-11** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-11** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-11** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2020-02-17** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2020-02-18** 2nd substitute bill substituted. `substitution`
- **2020-02-18** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-02-18** Third reading, passed; yeas, 30; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-02-21** First reading, referred to Human Services & Early Learning. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-26** HSEL - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2020-02-26** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-02-26** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2020-02-28** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2020-03-02** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Human Services & Early Learning.
- **2020-03-02** Minority; do not pass.
- **2020-03-03** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2020-03-05** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
- **2020-03-06** Committee amendment not adopted. `amendment-failure`
- **2020-03-06** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2020-03-06** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-03-06** Third reading, passed; yeas, 57; nays, 40; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-03-10** Senate refuses to concur in House amendments. Asks House to recede from amendments.
- **2020-03-11** House receded from amendments.
- **2020-03-11** Rules suspended.
- **2020-03-11** Returned to second reading for amendment.
- **2020-03-11** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2020-03-11** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2020-03-11** Third reading, passed; yeas, 56; nays, 41; absent, 0; excused, 1. `reading-3`
- **2020-03-11** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2020-03-11** Passed final passage; yeas, 30; nays, 18; absent, 0; excused, 1. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** President signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2020-03-12** Delivered to Governor.
- **2020-04-02** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2020-04-02** Chapter 320, 2020 Laws. `became-law`
- **2020-04-02** Effective date 6/11/2020*. `became-law`
- **2020-01-22T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation at 08:00 AM
- **2020-01-30T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation at 01:30 PM
- **2020-02-10T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:00 AM
- **2020-02-11T15:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:00 AM
- **2020-02-25T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Human Services & Early Learning at 01:30 PM
- **2020-02-26T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Human Services & Early Learning at 01:30 PM
- **2020-02-29T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 09:00 AM
- **2020-03-02T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 01:30 PM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/baf9ef9d-a481-4eac-aeca-2bec5da77bff`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).