Washington Administrative Code Title 490 - Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, Also Vocational Rehabilitation
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Washington Administrative Code Title 490 — covering the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board and Vocational Rehabilitation under DSHS:
📘 Title Overview
Title 490 governs the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) — the state body that licenses private vocational schools and implements workforce development and vocational rehabilitation programs. It includes chapters on organizational procedures, school regulation, public records, environmental policy, and related vocational rehab services (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov, law.cornell.edu).
🗂 Chapter Structure & Highlights
Chapter 490‑04B – Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board
WAC 490‑04B‑010: Requires at least six public board meetings each year (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑08B – Practice and Procedure
WAC 490‑08B‑010 to ‑080: Adopts model adjudicative rules (e.g., discovery, hearings, record-keeping) in line with APA (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑10 – Organization
WAC 490‑10‑010: Defines board’s organizational structure (executive director role, staffing under RCW 28C.18) (app.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑13 – Rules Coordinator
WAC 490‑13‑010: Designates location and contact information for the rules coordinator (Office in Olympia) (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑105 – Regulation of Private Vocational Schools
WAC 490‑105‑010 to ‑230: Sets requirements for licensing private vocational schools, including:
Initial licensure, renewals, fee structures, and owner disclosures
WAC 490‑105‑041: Annual renewal mandates, ownership details, fee payments (regulations.justia.com, law.cornell.edu)
WAC 490‑105‑110: License display, duplicate issuance, and notifications for name or location changes
Chapter 490‑276 – Access to Public Records
WAC 490‑276‑010 to ‑140: Establishes public records policies:
Definitions, procedures, records officer, office hours, requests, exemptions, denial reviews, and copying processes (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑325A – SEPA Rules
WAC 490‑325A‑010: Requires compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for board actions (lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov).
Chapter 490‑800 – Private Vocational School Regulations
WAC 490‑800‑255 and others: Provides additional rules for administration and consumer protections in vocational school operations (law.cornell.edu).
✅ Summary Table
| Chapter | Focus | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| 04B | Board meetings | Must meet ≥6 times/year; meetings open/public except executive sessions |
| 08B | Adjudicative procedures | Hearing rules, evidence, discovery, closures |
| 10 | Board structure | Defines executive director role, organizational setup |
| 13 | Rules coordination | Designates contact/officer for administrative rules |
| 105 | Private vocational school regulation | Licensing, renewals, fee schedules, updates to school status |
| 276 | Public records | Request/access rules, exemptions, office operations |
| 325A | Environmental compliance | Board subject to SEPA for project/business activities |
| 800 | Vocational school consumer protections | Further licensing standards and regulatory oversight |
🏁 Final Takeaways
Title 490 establishes the WTECB structure, operations, and oversight mechanisms.
It enforces licensing and regulation of private vocational schools (chapters 105 & 800), including consumer protections.
It also ensures government transparency via public records rules (chapter 276) and environmental compliance (chapter 325A).
The board conducts due process hearings under APA standards (chapter 08B) and maintains an open meeting policy (chapter 04B).
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