FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 6560

C 157 L 18

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Ensuring that no youth is discharged from a public system of care into homelessness.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Darneille, Billig, Frockt, Hunt, Kuderer, Palumbo and Wellman).

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

House Committee on Early Learning & Human Services

Background: The Legislature created the Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (OHY) within the Department of Commerce in 2015. OHY is responsible for leading efforts to coordinate a spectrum of funding, policy, and practice efforts related to homeless youth and improving the safety, health, and welfare of homeless youth in the state. Additionally, OHY was authorized to provide the management and oversight of HOPE Centers, Crisis Residential Centers, street youth services, and the Independent Youth Housing Program.

One of the five stated goals of OHY for youth and young adults is stable housing. Specifically, homeless youth should have a safe and healthy place to sleep each night until permanency can be reached, homeless youth should have access to housing that gives them a safe, healthy, and supported launching pad to adulthood, every family in crisis should have appropriate support as they work to keep their children housed and safe, and that every homeless youth discharged from a public system of care in our state will not be discharged into homelessness.

DOL issues identicards, containing a picture, to applicants who do not hold a valid Washington driver's license, who prove their identity as required by law, and who pay the required fee. An identicard expires six years after the applicant's first birthday after the identicard is issued. The fee for an identicard is $54, but an identicard must be provided at the cost of production to an applicant who is receiving continuing public assistance grants and is referred in writing by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), or who is under 18 years of age and does not have a permanent residence.

Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR), within the DSHS Rehabilitation Administration, serves high-risk youth in Washington who are committed to the custody of JR by a county juvenile court. JR administers treatment and programs for youth at institutions and community programs around the state of Washington.

Summary: The Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF) and OHY must jointly develop a plan, with specific state agency actions and any legislative recommendations, to ensure that, by December 31, 2020, no unaccompanied youth is discharged from a publicly funded system of care into homelessness. Publicly funded system of care is defined as the child welfare system, behavioral health system, and juvenile justice system, and OHY programs.

DCYF must submit the plan to the Legislature and Governor by December 31, 2019.

A declaration provides that it is the goal of the Legislature that any unaccompanied youth discharged from a publicly funded system of care will be discharged into safe and stable housing beginning January 1, 2021, and this policy applies in a judicial hearing pertaining to the commitment of the youth or in any collateral proceeding that involves the custody of the youth.

Effective January 1, 2019, DOL must issue an identicard at the cost of production to individuals scheduled for release from a juvenile rehabilitation institution or facility and individuals released from those facilities within 30 days before the date of application.

Votes on Final Passage: