---
type: "Bill"
title: "Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs."
description: "Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development programs."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "SB 5237"
citation: "Washington SB 5237 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CHILD CARE", "CHILDREN", "YOUTH", "AND FAMILIES", "DEPARTMENT", "COVID-19 AND CORONAVIRUS", "NAMED ACTS", "PUBLIC FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["C. Wilson"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 59
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-01-15T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-05-07T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/35b74d5e-45b6-4493-9b3e-62060299eed8"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5237&year=2021"
source_hash: "8b02af20213348dd46ee6fa3bb173b21c2989aa716e3ac6f6f4b7098bf599249"
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 5237 (2021-2022) — Expanding accessible, affordable child care and early childhood development 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/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5237.htm)
2. **Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5237-S2.E.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5237-S2.htm)
4. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2021-22/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5237-S.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#2) — **28–21** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#15) — **62–36** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as recommended by the Conference Committee (#2) — **65–32** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Recommended by Conference Committee (#6) — **27–22** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- C. Wilson — primary (person)
- Billig — cosponsor (person)
- Conway — cosponsor (person)
- Darneille — cosponsor (person)
- Das — cosponsor (person)
- Dhingra — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Hunt — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Liias — cosponsor (person)
- Lovelett — cosponsor (person)
- Nguyen — cosponsor (person)
- Nobles — cosponsor (person)
- Pedersen — cosponsor (person)
- Saldaña — cosponsor (person)
- Salomon — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-15T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education. `reading-1`
- **2021-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM.
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** EDU - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-03T05:00:00+00:00** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-16T05:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
- **2021-02-18T05:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
- **2021-02-18T05:00:00+00:00** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `passage`
- **2021-02-18T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-18T05:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-02-22T05:00:00+00:00** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2021-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2021-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd substitute bill substituted (WM 21). `substitution`
- **2021-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2021-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 28; nays, 21; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-09T05:00:00+00:00** First reading, referred to Children, Youth & Families. `reading-1`
- **2021-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Public hearing in the House Committee on Children, Youth & Families at 10:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Children, Youth & Families at 8:00 AM.
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** CYF - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** Public hearing and executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2021-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Children, Youth & Families. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; do not pass. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2021-04-02T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-07T04:00:00+00:00** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2021-04-08T04:00:00+00:00** Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.
- **2021-04-08T04:00:00+00:00** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-08T04:00:00+00:00** Third reading, passed; yeas, 62; nays, 36; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2021-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** Senate refuses to concur in House amendments. Asks House for conference thereon.
- **2021-04-19T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee appointed. Senators Billig, Hawkins, Wilson, C..
- **2021-04-20T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee request granted.
- **2021-04-20T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee appointed. Representatives Bergquist, Dent, Senn.
- **2021-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee report; received 9:35 AM 4/21/2021.
- **2021-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee report; received 10:30 AM 4/21/2021.
- **2021-04-21T04:00:00+00:00** Signed by Representatives Bergquist, Senn; Senators Billig, Wilson, C.. `passage`
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee report adopted.
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage as recommended by conference committee; yeas, 65; nays, 32; absent, 0; excused, 1.
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Conference committee report adopted.
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Passed final passage as recommended by conference committee; yeas, 27; nays, 22; absent, 0; excused, 0.
- **2021-04-24T04:00:00+00:00** President signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-24T04:00:00+00:00** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2021-04-26T04:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-07T04:00:00+00:00** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-07T04:00:00+00:00** Chapter 199, 2021 Laws. `became-law`
- **2021-05-07T04:00:00+00:00** Effective date 7/25/2021*. `became-law`
- **2021-01-22T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 08:00 AM
- **2021-02-03T15:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:30 AM
- **2021-02-16T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 01:30 PM
- **2021-02-18T18:30:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 01:30 PM
- **2021-03-18T14:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Children, Youth & Families at 10:00 AM
- **2021-03-24T12:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Children, Youth & Families at 08:00 AM
- **2021-04-01T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 09:00 AM
- **2021-04-01T13:00:00+00:00** Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 09:00 AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/35b74d5e-45b6-4493-9b3e-62060299eed8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).