H-3197.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2766

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Representatives Lemmon, Conway, Morris, Cooke, Orr, Patterson, Long, Kessler, Thibaudeau, Linville, Moak, Rayburn, Karahalios and Johanson

Read first time 01/24/94.  Referred to Committee on Human Services.

Eliminating authority of law enforcement officers to release runaway children to other responsible adults.

    AN ACT Relating to children; and amending RCW 13.32A.060.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 13.32A.060 and 1985 c 257 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) An officer taking a child into custody under RCW 13.32A.050 (1) or (2) shall inform the child of the reason for such custody and shall either:

    (a) Transport the child to his or her home.  The officer releasing a child into the custody of the parent shall inform the parent of the reason for the taking of the child into custody and shall inform the child and the parent of the nature and location of appropriate services available in their community; or

    (b) Take the child to a designated crisis residential center ((or the home of a responsible adult)):

    (i) If the child evinces fear or distress at the prospect of being returned to his or her home; or

    (ii) If the officer believes there is a possibility that the child is experiencing in the home some type of child abuse or neglect, as defined in RCW 26.44.020, as now law or hereafter amended; or

    (iii) If it is not practical to transport the child to his or her home; or

    (iv) If there is no parent available to accept custody of the child.

    ((The officer releasing a child into the custody of a responsible adult shall inform the child and the responsible adult of the nature and location of appropriate services available in the community.))

    (2) An officer taking a child into custody under RCW 13.32A.050 (3) or (4) shall inform the child of the reason for custody, and shall take the child to a designated crisis residential center licensed by the department and established pursuant to chapter 74.13 RCW.  However, an officer taking a child into custody under RCW 13.32A.050(4) may place the child in a juvenile detention facility as provided in RCW 13.32A.065.  The department shall ensure that all the enforcement authorities are informed on a regular basis as to the location of the designated crisis residential center or centers in their judicial district, where children taken into custody under RCW 13.32A.050 may be taken.

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