HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2750

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                 Children & Family Services

Title:  An act relating to defining core services for victims of sexual assault.

Brief Description:  Including prevention for potential victims of sexual assault as a core treatment service for victims of sexual assault.

Sponsors:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Haigh and Romero; by request of Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Children & Family Services:  2/3/00 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Changes the classification of sexual assault prevention education to a core (required) service.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives D. Sommers, Republican Co-Chair; Tokuda, Democratic Co-Chair; Boldt, Republican Vice Chair; Kagi, Democratic Vice Chair; Campbell; Carrell; Dickerson; Eickmeyer; Kastama and Pflug.

Staff:  Deborah Frazier (786-7152).

Background:

Current law requires that communities throughout the state provide appropriate services to sexual assault victims.

Mandated services are divided into two categories:  core services and specialized services. Community Sexual Assault Programs (CSAP) are required to provide all core services.  Core services consist of information and referral, crisis intervention, legal and medical advocacy, general advocacy, and system coordination.  

Providers who have been awarded bids, via a competitive regional bidding process, provide specialized services.  Specialized services include support groups, therapy, medical examinations, and prevention education.  These services are provided as each region determines necessary.  Since implementation of this program, the number of prevention education programs has declined to four.  

Each region is guaranteed funding for the provision of both core and specialized services. Funding from various state sources is pooled and then divided among regions, according to a formula that accounts for individual community needs.   Increased funding will be available to the program through allocations resulting from the federal Violence Against Women Act.

Summary of Bill:

House Bill 2750 changes the classification of prevention education to a core (required) service.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Prevention education is currently classified as a specialized service.  For specialized services, each region determines the mix of services to be provided based on local needs.  Prevention education programs have declined as a result; local communities choose to use their funding for the other specialized services, which treat sexual assault victims, instead.  Making the service a core, required service means that new federal monies that will become available can be used to increase the number of prevention education programs statewide.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (In support) Bev Emery, Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development; and Suzanne Brown, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault.