This bill mistakenly refers to nursing homes for the mentally disabled, "as prescribed by Federal law." In fact, there are no "nursing homes for the mentally disabled." Nursing homes are for sick people and mental disability is not an illness. Over 10 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court in L.C. vs. Olmstead, told the State of Georgia that is could no longer lock people up in institutions just because they were mentally disabled.
The Supreme Court said under the Americans with Disabilities Act, people have a right to live in the community with the supports they need being provided by the state. Because of this, the State of Washington has been moving to close down institutions such as Fircrest (in Shoreline, in the 32nd LD) and others because the same level of care can be delivered in an integrated community setting for half or less of the cost, and at much greater freedom and self-determination for the person with disabilities. This has been proven over and over, as the ARC and other advocacy organizations attest.
Several states have completely abolished their "schools" for mentally disabled adults. Many "patients" or "inmates" with severe behavioral problems have moved into apartments or group homes and had those problems disappear, because they were either casued or exacerbated by the institution. Group homes are certified to provide the same complexity of care that the Habilitation Institutions provide. These institutions are inordinately expensive to operate, when many more people could be served in the community at the same cost with the same level of care and more participation in the community.