# RCW 18.20.125: RCW 18.20.125: Inspections—Enforcement remedies—Screening—Limitations on unsupervised access to vulnerable adults

> Washington · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S125

## Section

- **Citation:** RCW 18.20.125
- **Heading:** RCW 18.20.125: Inspections—Enforcement remedies—Screening—Limitations on unsupervised access to vulnerable adults
- **Jurisdiction:** Washington
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Washington Code / Title 18 / Chapter 20 / Section 125

## Text

(1) Inspections must be outcome based and responsive to resident complaints and based on a clear set of health, quality of care, and safety standards that are easily understandable and have been made available to facilities, residents, and other interested parties. This includes that when conducting licensing inspections, the department shall interview an appropriate percentage of residents, family members, and advocates in addition to interviewing appropriate staff. (2) Prompt and specific enforcement remedies shall also be implemented without delay, consistent with RCW 18.20.190 , for facilities found to have delivered care or failed to deliver care resulting in problems that are serious, recurring, or uncorrected, or that create a hazard that is causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to one or more residents. These enforcement remedies may also include, when appropriate, reasonable conditions on a license. In the selection of remedies, the safety, health, and well-being of residents shall be of paramount importance. (3)(a) To the extent funding is available, the licensee, administrator, and their staff should be screened through background checks in a uniform and timely manner to ensure that they do not have a criminal history that would disqualify them from working with vulnerable adults. Employees may be provisionally hired pending the results of the background check if they have been given three positive references. (b) Long-term care workers, as defined in RCW 74.39A.009 , who are hired after January 7, 2012, are subject to background checks under RCW 74.39A.056 . (4) No licensee, administrator, or staff, or prospective licensee, administrator, or staff, with a stipulated finding of fact, conclusion of law, and agreed order, or finding of fact, conclusion of law, or final order issued by a disciplining authority, a court of law, or entered into the state registry finding him or her guilty of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment of a minor or a vulnerable adult as defined in chapter 74.34 RCW shall be employed in the care of and have unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.

## Nearby sections

- [RCW 18.20.010 RCW 18.20.010: Purpose.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S010.md)
- [RCW 18.20.020 RCW 18.20.020: Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S020.md)
- [RCW 18.20.030 RCW 18.20.030: License required.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S030.md)
- [RCW 18.20.040 RCW 18.20.040: Application for license.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S040.md)
- [RCW 18.20.050 RCW 18.20.050: Licenses—Issuance—Renewal—Provisional licenses—Fees—Display—Surrender, relinquishment—Change in licensee—Refusal of renewal, when—Copy of decision.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S050.md)
- [RCW 18.20.090 RCW 18.20.090: Rules, regulations, and standards.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S090.md)
- [RCW 18.20.095 RCW 18.20.095: Resident contact information—Department requirements and duties.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S095.md)
- [RCW 18.20.110 RCW 18.20.110: Inspection of assisted living facilities—Approval of changes or new facilities.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S110.md)
- [RCW 18.20.115 RCW 18.20.115: Quality improvement consultation program—Principles.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S115.md)
- [RCW 18.20.125 RCW 18.20.125: Inspections—Enforcement remedies—Screening—Limitations on unsupervised access to vulnerable adults.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S125.md)
- [RCW 18.20.126 RCW 18.20.126: Screening—Certificates of parental improvement.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S126.md)
- [RCW 18.20.130 RCW 18.20.130: Fire protection—Duties of chief of the Washington state patrol.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S130.md)
- [RCW 18.20.140 RCW 18.20.140: Operating without license—Penalty.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S140.md)
- [RCW 18.20.150 RCW 18.20.150: Operating without license—Injunction.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S150.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T18_C20_S125. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.