2.1.18

Suggested lead:   Lawmakers hope to give some special Washington parents one less thing to worry about. Dan Frizzell has more.

Wrap (:68 total):

SENN: “An elderly woman was sharing with us her concerns about her adult child with disabilities.  And she could not sleep at night because she wasn’t sure what was going to become of her son.” [:10]

It’s a dilemma shared by every parent of a child with disabilities: What will happen when we’re gone? That chance meeting got state Representative Tana Senn thinking about a solution, and Thursday morning the Mercer Island Democrat’s idea received a unanimous yes vote in the state House of Representatives. If her bill becomes law, aging parents will be able to transfer ownership of their family home to a non-profit supported-housing concern in a tax-free transaction, saving thousands of dollars and, as Senn said on the House floor,

SENN: “They get peace of mind, their adult child with disabilities can stay in the home for their lifetime, supported living gets more capacity, and we relieve the Housing Trust Fund from having to buy or build homes for supported living.” [:13]

By donating the homes to a non-profit rather than deeding them to the adult child, Senn said, parents of adults with disabilities can avoid the limitations on assets that could otherwise disqualify the survivor from receiving essential services.  In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.