Establishing a child care workforce standards board.

The number of board members required to approve actions increased from five to six.

Reduced the number of languages required for training materials and notices from four to three.

Removed the requirement for board members to vote on standards that are less protective than existing laws.

Added a requirement for one board member to represent workers in school-age programs.

Added a requirement for one board member to represent a small business with 15 or fewer employees.

Clarified that 'child care workers' includes those working at child care providers licensed or certified by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Key dates were updated to reflect the 2026 Regular Session, including the initial board appointment deadline (Sept 1, 2026) and the data sharing agreement deadline (Oct 1, 2026).

The board's authority was changed from establishing mandatory minimum employment standards to only making recommendations to the director.

The board's investigations and recommendations must now prioritize child care worker staffing, recruitment, retention, and staffing ratios.

New investigation topics were added, including the impact of systemic racism, economic injustice, and the adequacy of state payment practices for child care employers.

Private schools approved under specific RCW chapters operating preschools or providing child care services are now explicitly excluded from the definition of a 'child care employer'.

The definition of 'child care worker' was updated to exclude employees of the newly exempted private schools.

The bill was renumbered from Substitute House Bill 1128 to Second Substitute House Bill 1128, and the bill number changed from H-1193.1 to H-3517.1.