Yesterday,  Governor Gregoire signed into law E2SHB 2782, the “Disability Lifeline” bill that preserved most of what was formerly known as General Assistance Unemployable (GAU). Although the program underwent some significant cuts and the end result is not exactly what many homelessness advocates wanted to see, most of the essential components of GAU–including healthcare for our community’s most vulnerable populations–were preserved. This is an especially noteworthy feat considering our state’s budget mess had prompted many state lawmakers to push for disbanding GAU altogether.

Thanks and congratulations to the many, many people and organizations who helped maintain this essential strand of the safety net – despite generally uphill battles in the Senate and Governor’s Office! Overcoming those difficulties was not easy. You can read why our CEO thinks GAU is important here.

Some of the notable cuts to the program include imposing a 24-month limit on benefits, meaning roughly 3,600 individuals could lose their GAU-sponsored healthcare on September 1. Governor Gregoire also vetoed the legislature’s proposal to prioritize ineligible disability lifeline recipients for enrollment in the subsidized Basic Health Plan, arguing that it would limit the Health Care Authority’s ability to efficiently manage Basic Health.