In 1999, the Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 5693 to create a Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund. The Legislature recognized that families of people with developmental disabilities often need long-term financial planning and support beyond what public funding can provide. The law established a public-private endowment fund intended to help secure lifetime care by combining state contributions with private family contributions so that people with developmental disabilities have a resource they can rely on as families age or circumstances change.

The new fund was set up to collect and invest both public and private dollars, with earnings used for services and supports that can help people with developmental disabilities throughout their lives. The Legislature made it clear this endowment was meant to supplement — not replace — existing public services and that the state’s responsibility for current services would remain. By encouraging families to engage in long-term planning and providing a mechanism to support that planning, the law aimed to improve stability and choice for people with developmental disabilities and their families.