---
type: "Bill"
title: "Implementing audit recommendations to reduce barriers to home care aide certification."
description: "Implementing audit recommendations to reduce barriers to home care aide certification."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "SB 5278"
citation: "Washington SB 5278 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["L. Wilson"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 38
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2023-01-11"
last_action: "2023-05-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/abeae286-34cb-450a-bdf6-00ef1466a2bd"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5278&year=2023"
source_hash: "ee750b5e3d1aa5ff3dd88efddac42cb252f13257d5696d63e9fe8cea9b87bcd9"
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 5278 (2023-2024) — Implementing audit recommendations to reduce barriers to home care aide certification.

## 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/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5278.htm)
2. **Engrossed Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5278-S2.E.htm)
3. **Second Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5278-S2.htm)
4. **Second Substitute Passed Legislature** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5278-S2.PL.htm)
5. **Substitute Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2023-24/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5278-S.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#3) — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#6) — **49–0** (pass) · upper
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#33) — **45–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- L. Wilson — primary (person)
- C. Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Fortunato — cosponsor (person)
- Lovick — cosponsor (person)
- Muzzall — cosponsor (person)
- Robinson — cosponsor (person)
- Shewmake — cosponsor (person)
- Torres — cosponsor (person)
- Warnick — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-11** First reading, referred to Health & Long Term Care. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-26** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 10:30 AM.
- **2023-02-10** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-02-10** HLTC - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-10** And refer to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-13** Referred to Ways & Means. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-18** Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-24** Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-02-24** WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass. `substitution`
- **2023-02-24** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2023-02-27** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee. `reading-2`
- **2023-03-01** 2nd substitute bill substituted (WM 23). `substitution`
- **2023-03-01** Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- **2023-03-01** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-01** Third reading, passed; yeas, 45; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 4. `reading-3`
- **2023-03-04** First reading, referred to Postsecondary Education & Workforce. `reading-1`
- **2023-03-14** Public hearing in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 1:30 PM.
- **2023-03-21** Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 1:30 PM.
- **2023-03-24** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Postsecondary Education & Workforce at 8:00 AM.
- **2023-03-24** PEW - Majority; do pass with amendment(s). `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-24** Minority; without recommendation. `committee-passage-unfavorable`
- **2023-03-28** Referred to Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-01** Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-04-04** Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
- **2023-04-04** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Postsecondary Education & Workforce. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-04** Referred to Rules 2 Review. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-06** Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading. `reading-2`
- **2023-04-07** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2023-04-07** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-07** Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2. `reading-3`
- **2023-04-17** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2023-04-17** Passed final passage; yeas, 49; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2023-04-19** President signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-20** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2023-04-20** Delivered to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2023-05-04** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-04** Chapter 323, 2023 Laws. `became-law`
- **2023-05-04** Effective date 7/23/2023. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/abeae286-34cb-450a-bdf6-00ef1466a2bd`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).