Recently, more than 120 individuals attended the Annual Summer Potluck Picnic of the King County Family Coalition for Developmental Disabilities of the Arc of King County, where six legislators, including 45th District State Sen. Andy Hill and 48th District State Sen. Rodney Tom, were awarded for their efforts during the 2014 legislative session.

Addressing the unmet need for waiting families whose children qualified for state respite and other state Developmental Disabilities Administration services, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 6387, adding 5,000 individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) to services, as well as put in place a policy to make it easier for families to receive respite care. Senators Hill and Tom were awarded for their role leading a bi-partisan effort to help people with developmental disabilities. This annual award is given to legislators who go above and beyond to champion DD issues.