CHILDREN'S
HOME SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
FINAL
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
MARCH 10,
2006
<<CHSW March
10th Final Legislative Update.pdf>> <<CHSW March 10th Final
Legislative Update.doc>>
INTRODUCTION
Week 9: Sine Die!! The legislature
adjourned one day early on March 8th. Many bills
passed and many budget items were funded. In general, it is
accurate to say that children fared pretty well this session!
Now is a great time to write thank
you notes/emails to your legislators AND to begin making plans
to meet with them during the interim. It's also time to
review what happened and didn't happen this session and start
thinking about issues for next session! And remember.....
all Reps are up for re-election, ½ of the Senators.
Participating in candidate forums, attending community
meetings, working on campaigns are good ways to find out where
candidates stand on issues and get to know them!
While the alert will cover a number
of bills, there may be some you are interested in that do not
appear. Please feel free to contact Laurie Lippold if you
have questions, etc. on the information included, or not(!) in
the alert. Laurie can be reached at lippoldlau@aol.com or
360/754-3290. Or, you can contact Norma at normaw@chs-wa.org
or 206/695-3279. Remember, bills can be accessed by going to
www.leg.wa.gov.
Contents of March 10th Legislative Update:
·
Foster Care/Kinship Care/Adoption
·
Prevention, Early Intervention,
Evidence Based Practice (EBP)
·
Mental Health
·
Early Childhood Education and Care
·
Child Abuse/Neglect
·
Welfare
·
Budget
·
Other
FOSTER CARE/KINSHIP
CARE/ADOPTION
HB2002 - Foster Care
Support Services.
Sponsored by Rep. Dickerson, HB2002 extends foster care
services to youth up through 20 years of age who are pursuing
post-secondary education (including vocational education).
The bill was initially introduced in the 2005 session.
As amended, HB2002 caps the number of
youth able to participate in the program to 50 for each of 3
years and directs the WA State Institute for Public Policy to
conduct a study on the outcomes for foster youth who receive
continued support.
As amended by the Senate Human
Services and Corrections committee - The bill now limits
eligibility to children who remain actively enrolled in school
and maintain a 2.0 GPA. It also limits child support
obligations for children ages 18-21 years, except as required
by Federal law.
New! Status:
HB2002 has been delivered to the Governor and is awaiting
action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor to ask that she sign the bill
into law!
SB6635 - Relating to
Adoption.
Sponsored by Sen. Franklin, SB6635 is a
companion to HB2468.
As amended, SB6635 states that
culture, ethnic or racial background of the child can be
considered if: a particular child presents specific
compelling special circumstances; and consideration of the
child's cultural, ethnic or racial background is the only way
to achieve the best interest of that child. The bill also
directs the DSHS to create training for all staff involved
with the placement of children in order to ensure compliance
with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Multiethnic
Placement Act, as amended by the Interethnic Adoption
Provisions of the Small Business Job Protection Act. Further,
SB6635 requires each adoption petition filed to include a
written disclosure statement containing an itemized accounting
of all moneys paid or estimated to be paid by the petitioner
for fees, costs and expenses related to adoption. The DSHS,
in consultation with licensed adoption agencies will develop
the form. DSHS will also establish and maintain by rule a
schedule of standard adoption-related fees that may be
charged. The fee schedule will be developed in consultation
with adoption advocates, attorneys, agency representatives,
birth and adoptive parents, tribes and Superior court judges.
If the fees disclosed are in excess of those established the
court may forward a copy of the disclosure statement to the
department. Finally, SB6635 gives the Attorney General the
authority to bring an action in the name of the state against
any person violating the advertising provisions currently in
statute.
Striking amendment -- The Senate
amended the bill on the floor to include the following
provisions:
Training for all staff involved with the
placement of children;
Establishing in rule a schedule of
standard adoption-related fees that may be charged;
Review of barriers to adoption,
including fees;
Tightening up the advertising statutes;
and
Prohibiting for-profit entities from
engaging in any service related to adoption.
Striking amendment by Rep. Kagi - The
bill was amended in the House Children and Families committee
prior to its passage. The amendment did the following:
New! Status:
SB6635 has been delivered to the Governor and is awaiting
action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask that she sign the bill
into law!
HB2985 - Creating a
Foster Care Health Unit.
Sponsored by Rep. Schual-Berke, HB2985 establishes the office
of foster care health care services under the authority of the
Department of Social and Health Services. The office will:
provide for the physical, dental, and mental health needs of
children in the custody of DSHS; work with health care
providers, clinics, and hospitals to develop health care
services tailored to the unique needs of children in foster
care; and establish a medical home for each child placed in
foster care to ensure that appropriate, timely, and necessary
quality care is available through a coordinated system of
care.
As amended, HB2985 requires DSHS to
create a health unit with the Children's Administration to
review issues related to health care for foster children and
provide a report of their recommendations to the Legislature
rather then requiring that the separate Office of Foster
Health Care Services be created to coordinate and provide for
the physical, dental, and mental health needs of children
committed to the custody of the DSHS. The bill makes
technical changes to the language clarifying that the DSHS may
provide treatment for routine and necessary medical, dental
and mental health or necessary emergency needs of a child in
its care.
As amended by the Senate Human
Services and Corrections committee - The bill now requires
that the Children's Administration and the Health and Recovery
Services Administration collaborate to accomplish the tasks
required in the bill. Further, the bill permits managed care
to be implemented for health care services for foster children
if it is in the best interest of the foster child, and not for
cost containment purposes. The health unit expires Jan. 1st,
2007.
New! Status:
HB2985 was delivered to the Governor and is awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask that she sign the bill
into law!
HB3182 - Tribal Foster
Care Licensing.
Sponsored by Rep. Pettigrew, HB3182
states, "The state of WA recognizes the ability of the Indian
tribes within the state to enter into agreements with the
state to license agencies located on or near the federally
recognized Indian reservation to receive children for control,
care, and maintenance outside their own homes, or to place,
receive, arrange the placement of, or assist in the placement
of children for foster care."
As amended, HB3182 modifies the
definition of agency and permits Indian Tribes that do not
have reservation land to license foster care homes within
their service district.
As amended by the Human Services and
Corrections committee - liability of the state for tribally
licensed foster care homes is limited.
New! Status:
HB3182 was delivered to the Governor and is awaiting action.
Position/Action needed:
Support.
HB3115 - Establishing a
Foster Parent Critical Support and Retention Program.
Sponsored by Rep. Darneille, HB3115
establishes in statute a support and retention program geared
towards retaining foster parents who care for children who act
out sexually, physically assault, or have other high-risk
behaviors. A contractor must demonstrate experience providing
in-home case management to foster homes that are licensed
through he division of children and family services. This
program has been funded through a budget proviso.
As amended, HB3115 revises the intent
section regarding the benefits to special needs children of
having well prepared, trained, and supported foster parents.
As amended by the Senate Human
Services and Corrections committee - the bill now includes
considerable language from SB6331, including:
·
Defines screened-out, inconclusive,
and founded reports of child abuse and neglect
·
Expungement periods and limitations on
disclosure are outlined for each type of report;
·
Requires DSHS must disclose to a
foster parent any behavioral and emotional problems of the
child and whether the child is a sexually aggressive youth;
·
State that a foster parent may not be
found to have abused or neglected a child or be denied a
foster care license if the child was not within the
reasonable control of the foster parent at the time of the
incident or, under certain circumstances, if prior conduct
of the child was not disclosed to the foster parent.
New! Status:
HB3115 was passed in its amended version by the Senate. The
bill then went back to the House for concurrence. The House
did not concur, the Senate did not recede from their
amendments and members of the House and Senate met to work out
their differences. The bill was then passed by both the House
and Senate and has been delivered to the Governor for action.
In its final version the bill
consists of the following:
·
The foster parent critical support
program.
·
A directive to DSHS to prepare a
report to the legislature regarding their policies and
practices relating to referrals, investigations, and records
of child abuse and neglect allegations. The components of
the report are detailed in the bill.
·
A requirement that "information about
behavioral and emotional problems of the child and whether
the child is a sexually reactive child" be provided when a
child is placed in out of home care.
·
A requirement that "disclosure of any
relevant health care information shall be consistent with
RCW70.24.105 and any guidelines or recommendations
established by the department of health concerning
disclosure of such information, including testing for and
disclosure of information related to blood-borne pathogens."
Position/Action needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask that she sign the bill
into law.
SB6741-Joint Task Force
on the Administration and Delivery of Services to Children and
Families. Sponsored by
Sen. Stevens, SB6741 adds a representative from the Office of
the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Office of Public
Defense, and the Governor's Office to the Task Force.
Additionally, the life of the task force is extended to July
1, 2007.
As amended by the House Children and
Families committee - the committee removed the .5 FTE from the
bill. Previously, the addition of a representative from the
Governor's office was removed.
New! Status:
SB6741 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action.
Position/Action needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask
that she sign the bill into law.
HB3139 - Kinship
Caregivers' Consent for Mental Health Care of Minors.
Sponsored by Rep. Pettigrew, HB3139 clarifies that "a
competent adult representing himself or herself to be a
relative responsible for the health care of such minor patient
or a competent adult who has signed and dated a declaration
under penalty or perjury" is able to consent to the mental
health care for children in their care, in the same way they
are able to consent to health care.
As amended by the Senate Human
Services and Corrections committee - the sections of the bill
pertaining to the parent initiated commitment process were
removed.
New! Status:
HB3139 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action.
Position/Action needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask
that she sign the bill into law.
PREVENTION, EARLY INTERVENTION, EVIDENCE
BASED PRACTICE
HB2397 - Establishing a
pilot program to deliver mental health treatment to children.
Sponsored by Rep. Dickerson, HB2397
directs DSHS, through the Division of Mental Health, to begin
a pilot program to support local efforts to implement
evidence-based mental health services provided to children.
The pilot program will consist of 4 sites. Any county or
group of counties may submit a proposal to be selected as a
pilot site. The lead agency may be a public or private
agency. The evidence based service or services to be provided
by a pilot site must be selected from a list of options
provided by the department. The department may consider
expanding the list of service options to include promising
practices. Resources that might support training for the
implementation of the selected evidence based service(s) and
quality assurance activities need to be identified within the
community. The department shall utilize the UW school of
medicine's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences
division of public behavioral health and justice to provide
support and assistance in all phases of the pilot program
including initiating, implementing and monitoring the pilot
program. The WA State Institute for Public Policy shall
conduct a study of the pilot programs measuring improvements
in the delivery of mental health services to children.
Preliminary findings shall be reported to the legislature by
Dec. 1, 2007, with a final report due by Dec. 1, 2008.
As amended, HB2397 does the
following: 1) Requires the Mental Health Division and the
Health and Recovery Services Administration in DSHS to
establish the pilot program. 2) Requires DSHS to consult with
others who have expertise in children's mental health to
develop the list of services which may be implemented in the
pilot program. 3) Requires DSHS to consult with others who
have expertise in children's mental health to develop the list
of promising practices. 4) Replaces the requirement that the
University of WA provide assistance with the pilot program
with a provision that the department may utilize one or more
agencies or programs that have experience with evidence-based
mental health practices. 5) Requires training and QA related
to the evidence based practice to be provided to the pilot
program sites. 6) Adds to the list of issues the WSIPP will
study.
New! Status:
While HB2397 died, $450,000 was included
in the final budget to implement what was included in the
bill.
Position/Action Needed:
No action at this time.
HB1483 - Investing in
Youth Program.
Sponsored by Rep. Dickerson, HB1483 was
initially heard last session. The bill: Requires the
Community Trade and Economic Development Department to
establish a reinvesting in youth pilot program that awards
grants to counties for implementing research-based early
intervention services that target juvenile-justice involved
youth and reduce crime; permits the pilot program to be
expanded to all counties effective July 1, 2007; and creates a
reinvesting in youth account in the state treasury.
As amended, HB1483 expands the
Reinvesting in Youth program to all counties, requires JRA to
establish a formula for distribution of funds that allocates
funds based on the savings to the state, and makes technical
and organizational changes.
New! Status:
HB1483 was passed by the Senate and has been delivered to the
Governor for action.
Position/Action Needed:
Generally support. Contact the Governor and ask that she sign
the bill into law.
MENTAL HEALTH
HB2456 - Mental Health
Consultants.
Sponsored by Rep. Roberts, HB2456
establishes a child care mental health
consultant pilot program, administered by the department of
early learning (if established) or the department of social
and health services. The pilot will provide a structure for
mental health consultants to: consult with caregivers around
specific problems with an individual child or family; observe
children in the child care setting; meet on site or at home
with families to complete assessments and provide guidance and
referrals; provide support and guidance to child care staff;
coordinate with specialists in public health, infant and
toddler early intervention, infant mental health, and others.
Two pilot sites are established.
New! Status:
$250,000 was not
included in the final budget to implement the intent of
HB2456.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. No action.
HB2501 - Mental Health
Services.
Sponsored by Rep. Schual-Berke, HB2501
clarifies that coverage for mental health services as defined
in RCW 48.21.241, 48.44.341, and 48.46.291 applies to all
group health plans for groups other than small groups as
defined in RCW 48.43.005. This bill clarifies questions that
arose after the passage of the parity bill last session.
New! Status:
HB2501 was delivered to the Governor and
awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. No action at this time.
HB2912 - Home Visits by
Mental Health Professionals.
Sponsored by Rep. Green, HB2912 states that if a designated
mental health professional or other mental health crisis
outreach worker visits a client in the client's home or other
nonpublic setting, he or she shall be accompanied by another
designated mental health professionals or other mental health
crisis outreach worker. Mental health professionals who
engage in home visits to clients shall be provided with a
wireless phone or comparable device. Any mental health
professional that is dispatched on a crisis outreach visit
shall have prompt access to existing case files, if any. And,
on an annual basis, all community mental health employees who
work directly with clients shall be provided with training on
safety and violence prevention.
New! Status:
HB2912 did not pass out of Ways and
Means and was referred back to House Rules. The bill died.
Position/Action Needed:
No formal position at this time.
SB6658 - Experience Requirements for
Licensed Mental Health Counselors.
Sponsored by Sen. Thibaudeau, SB6658
amends current statute related to educational requirements for
becoming licensed by adding, "or equally licensed mental
health practitioner" to those qualified to supervise
professionals wanting to become licensed mental health
counselors.
New! Status:
SB6658 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
No formal position at this time.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
HB2964 - Department of
Early Learning.
Sponsored by Rep. Kagi, HB2964 is a companion to SB6466.
The amendments to HB2964 do the
following: 1) Authorizes the director of the Early Learning
Dept. to implement, rather than to set, state early learning
policy. 2) Adds language regarding alignment, linkages, and
collaboration between early learning and K-12 programs to the
purposes of the chapter and to the duties of the department.
3) Requires that the director of the department be confirmed
by the Senate. 4) Authorizes the Dept. of Early Learning to
expend the moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the
Working Connections Child Care program in a manner consistent
with WorkFirst program outcome measures. 5) Directs the Dept.
to assist in the implementation rather than in the formation
of the public private partnership and provide the partnership
with necessary data resources for their work.
HB2964 was amended by the Senate
Early Learning, K-12, Higher Ed committee, however,
substantively the bill did not change much.
New! Status:
HB2964 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action!
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor to express
support for the bill.
HB2353 - Family Child
Care Providers.
Sponsored by Rep. Pettigrew, HB2353 establishes collective
bargaining and other joint activities for family child care
providers.
New! Status:
HB2353 was delivered to the Governor and is awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
No formal position at this time, however, HB2353 is supported
by The Collaborative, of which Children's Home Society of WA
is a member.
HB3013 -- Kindergarten Readiness.
Sponsored by Rep. Flannigan, HB3013
directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
to conduct an inventory of the kindergarten readiness
assessments used by school districts with incoming
kindergarten students; conduct an inventory of kindergarten
readiness assessments used in other states or recommended by
research; and make recommendations to the legislature a
single, culturally appropriate and inclusive kindergarten
readiness assessment and a method for statewide data
collection.
New! Status:
Although included in the House budget,
funding was not included in the House budget for the "Office
of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to conduct an
inventory of kindergarten readiness assessment.
Position/Action Needed:
No formal position at this time.
CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT/SAFETY
SB6331 - Unfounded or
meritless child abuse or neglect referrals.
Sponsored by Sen. Carrell, SB6331
defines meritless to mean that available information indicates
that, more likely than not, the child abuse or neglect
allegation was based on arbitrary, malicious, or erroneous
information or actions. The bill goes on to say that no
meritless allegation of child abuse or neglect may be
disclosed to a child-placing agency, private adoption agency,
or any other provider licensed under chapter 74.15 RCW.
Meritless referrals shall be purged at the end of one year
from receipt of the report.
As amended, SB6331 adds a definition
of screened-out, inconclusive and founded reports of child
abuse and neglect. DSHS is required to conduct an
investigation within the time frames established in rule and
make a finding that the report was unfounded, founded or
inconclusive at the conclusion of the investigation. Time
frames are set for the expungement of records based on the
classification of the report. DSHS is required to set up a
process of expungement of inconclusive records prior to the
expungement date. The penalty provision is limited to those
situations where the department disclosed information
improperly. Additionally, the bill requires DSHS to disclose
to a foster parent any behavioral and emotional problems of
the child and whether the child is a sexually aggressive
youth. A care provider may not be found to have abused or
neglected a child or be denied a foster care license in
certain situations. Finally, a contingent effective date for
the expungement provisions to take effect is identified (Jan.
1, 2007) unless DSHS makes recommendations for proposed
legislation before that date.
No change! Status:
See HB3115
Position/Action Needed:
See HB3115.
HB2996 - Trauma
Mitigation for Children.
Sponsored by Rep. Walsh, HB2996 establishes a trauma
mitigation pilot program, administered by the Children's
Administration and Division of Mental Health. The program
shall promote evidence-based trauma mitigation interventions
for children who are removed from their home by child
protective services. Services provided shall consist of:
24-hour receiving group receiving care, for no more than 7
days, for children 0-6, and sibling groups with children under
6 though age 12, designed to assist children in their
transition to foster care; post trauma child day care, for
children not enrolled in school, for a maximum of 30 days
after transition from group receiving care to foster care;
post trauma interventions, for school age siblings, once per
week for a maximum of 30 days after transition from group
receiving care to foster care; and follow up assessments of
each child at the time of exit, 6 months and one year after
exit.
As amended, HB2996 modifies the
intent section to describe Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery's
receiving care services and to clarify that the pilot program
will utilize evidence-based practices. A reference to
evidence-based practices is added and a specific
evidence-based practice - cognitive behavioral therapy - is
named as an example.
New! Status:
$323,000 was
not
included in the House budget for Trauma Mitigation per the
bill.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. No action.
HB3122 - Safety of Child
Protective, Child Welfare, and Adult Protective Services
Workers. Sponsored by
Rep. Kagi, HB3122 creates a supplementary program to reimburse
employees of the department, for some of their costs
attributable to their being the victims of assault while in
the course of discharging their assigned duties. Guidelines
are established for receipt of the reimbursement. The bill
also makes stalking an employee of the child protective, child
welfare, or adult protective services division within the
department of social and health services guilty of a class C
felony.
New! Status:
HB3122 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action.
Position/Action needed:
No formal position.
HB3152 - Establishing the Family
Assessment Response Demonstration Program.
Sponsored by Rep. Kagi, HB3152
establishes an alternative, flexible approach to responding to
allegations of child maltreatment in low-risk families who do
not present immediate child safety concerns. The bill lays
out how the program would be implemented and calls for the
DSHS to conduct the demonstration in one or more sites.
HB3152 is consistent with models for working with 'low risk'
families involved with CPS in other parts of the country, such
as Minnesota and Missouri.
New! Status:
The following proviso was included in
the final budget: "The department shall evaluate integrating
a family assessment component into its practice model for
working with lower risk families involved with child
protective services. The department shall report its finding
to the joint task force on child safety for children in child
protective services or child welfare services by July 1,
2007."
Position/Action needed:
Support. No action at this time.
WELFARE
HB2394 - Financial
literacy.
Sponsored by Rep. Dickerson, HB2394
includes financial literacy training designed to be effective
in assisting a recipient in becoming self-sufficient and
financially stable on the list of allowable activities in the
WorkFirst program. The department of social and health
services may authorize up to 10 hours of financial literacy
training as a core activity or an optional activity under
WorkFirst.
As amended the bill moves start up
date to '07 and changes reference from financial literacy
training to financial literacy activities.
New! Status:
HB2394 was delivered to the Governor and is awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask that she sign the bill
into law.
SB6628 - Preserving the
WorkFirst Child Safety Net Program.
Sponsored by Sen. Fairley, SB6628
prevents the possibility of a full family sanction for
families on the WorkFirst program.
As amended, SB6628 requires that
child safety net payments be assigned to a Protective Payee to
pay for the basic needs of the household and hold the
remaining funds for the needs of the child.
New! Status:
The proviso was not included in the
final budget, however, funding to preclude implementation of
the full family sanction until March of 07 was.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. No action.
HEALTH CARE
HB2376 - Repealing
cost-sharing in medical programs.
Sponsored by Rep. Clibborn, HB2376
removes the ability of the Department of Social and Health
Services to require cost-sharing measurements such as premiums
for recipients of Medicaid and other state-funded medical
programs.
New! Status:
HB2376 was signed by the Governor yesterday!!!
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor to thank
for signing the bill into law. Contact Rep. Clibborn to thank
for her leadership on children's health issues.
SB6185 - Family and
Medical Leave. Sponsored
by Sen. Keiser, SB6185 allows an employee (working in a
setting with 25 or more employees) a total of 12 work weeks of
(unpaid) leave during any 12 month period for one or more of
the following: birth of a child, placement of a child for
adoption or foster care; care for a family member; serious
health condition. Domestic partners are included in the
bill. The bulk of the provisions put into state statute
current federal policies around family and medical leave.
Amendment: The bill was amended to
eliminate the domestic partner language and raise the number
of employees to 50.
New! Status:
SB6185 was delivered to the Governor and
is awaiting action.
Position/Action Needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask
that she sign the bill into law!
BUDGET
PSSB6386 - Supplemental
Operating Budget. (see attached
documents for better table)
The final operating budget was
passed by the House and Senate. Highlights include....
Item Governor's Budget Senate
Budget House Budget Final Budget
Child care consultants
$250,000
Informal Kinship Caregiver Support Program
$500,000 $500,000
Kinship Care Navigators
BRS Vendor Rate
Extend Foster Care Services $594,000
$582,000 $516,000
Family Reconciliation Services $1.245 - FY06; $1.245
- FY07 (proviso directing this expenditure)
$540,000 FY06; $540,000 FY'07 (proviso directing this
expenditure)
Trauma Mitigation $323,000
Foster Parent Critical Support $744,000 (total
funds) $744,000 (total funds) $744,000 (total funds)
30 Day Visits $8.9m $3.175m (total funds) $8.2m (total
funds) $8.2m (total funds)
Foster Care/Child Profile
Child Service Reform Funding (per caps) $26.528m
Similar (in maintenance level) Similar (in maintenance
level) Similar (in maintenance level)
Child Welfare Information System $7.604m (total
funds) $7.604m (total funds) $7.604m (total funds)
$7.604m (total funds)
Dependency and Termination Project $11m $3.4m
$5.659m $4.5m
Chemical Dependency Specialists $572,000 Same (in
maintenance level) Same (in maintenance level) Same
(in maintenance level)
WorkFirst Shortfall $46m $50.498m $50.498m
$50.4m
Child Safety Net $3.438m
$650,000 (to adjust for delaying full family sanction until
Mar '07)
Visitation Services $2m (total funds) $1.276m (total
funds) $1.276m (total funds) $1.276 (total funds)
Early Learning Dept. $1.138m $1.138m $1.138m
$1.138m
Children's Health Program $4.4m $7.4m
$7.4m
Family Policy Council $2m $1m $1.5m
Spokane Continuum of Care $100,000
$100,000
Children's Advocacy Centers $50,000
$50,000
Safe Havens Supervised Visits $50,000 $50,000
$50,000
Position/Action Needed:
Contact your legislators to thank for
the items included in the final budget.
OTHER
HB1279 - Public access to
child in need of services and at-risk youth hearings.
Sponsored by Rep. Kagi, HB1279 requires that child in need of
services and at-risk youth hearings be open to the public
unless the judge finds that closing the hearings is in the
best interests of the child. This bill was initially
introduced in 2005.
As amended HB1279 directs the court
to exclude the public from an at risk youth hearing if either
parent requests that the public be excluded. This language is
consistent with the way in which the bill passed out of the
Human Services and Corrections committee last session.
No change! Status:
HB1279 did not come up for a vote on the
Senate floor awaiting a vote and therefore died.
Position/Action Needed:
Generally support. No action needed.
SB6717 - Joint Task Force on Criminal
Background Check Processes.
Sponsored by Sen. Kohl-Welles, SB6717 is
a companion bill to HB2762.
New! Status:
SB6717 got out of Rules, was passed by
the House and has been delivered to the Governor for action.
Position/Action needed:
Support. Contact the Governor and ask
that she sign the bill into law.
Thank you for all you did to
make the 2006 session a success!
