Rental Vouchers.
Before transferring an incarcerated individual from confinement into supervised community custody, the Department of Corrections (DOC) must approve the individual's release plan, including the proposed residence and living arrangements.  The DOC may deny a release plan if the proposed plan, including residence and living arrangements, places the individual at risk to reoffend, violates the conditions of the sentence or supervision, or presents a risk to victim safety or community safety.

The DOC may provide rental vouchers for up to three months if it will help facilitate the approval of an individual's release plan.  The rental vouchers must be provided in conjunction with additional support services such as substance abuse and mental health treatment.  The DOC is required to gather data on each individual receiving a rental voucher to determine if the vouchers are effective in reducing recidivism.

In addition, the DOC has separate authority to provide rental vouchers for incarcerated individuals discharging from the Washington Corrections Center for Women and the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, for up to three months, if such assistance will support the individual's release into the community.  The vouchers must be provided within existing resources of the DOC.  The rental vouchers are separate from the DOC's authority to issue rental vouchers for persons releasing into community custody.

Supervision Fees.

Interstate Compact for Adult Supervision.
The Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision governs the supervision of individuals subject to DOC supervision who move from one state to another.  Sending states must notify receiving states and obtain approval before sending an individual.  Receiving states must accept and supervise an individual when the reasons for the move are appropriate.  The DOC is authorized to charge a reasonable fee for processing interstate transfer applications.  According to DOC rule, the transfer request fee is $100.
 
Supervision Intake Fees.
When a felony sentence requires supervision or parole through the DOC, the individual must pay a supervision intake fee.  The DOC may exempt or defer all or partial payment of intake fees based on factors that include, among others, inability to obtain employment, age, student status, and other extenuating circumstances.  For individuals with offense dates before October 1, 2011, the supervision intake fee is a one-time fee based on a calculation of remaining supervision time left to serve, not to exceed $600.  For individuals who committed their offense on or after October 1, 2011, the DOC must assess a supervision intake fee between $400 and $600.  According to DOC rule, the current fee is $475.  All fees collected by the DOC must be deposited in the Cost of Supervision Fund, a dedicated fund in the custody of the State Treasurer.  In addition, the DOC may collect a supervision intake fee when it is charged with supervising an individual with a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor sentence.

Rental Vouchers.
The maximum period for housing vouchers issued to eligible individuals being released from DOC into community custody is extended to six months.
 
The separate authority of the DOC to issue housing vouchers in other circumstances is expanded.  The DOC may issue housing vouchers to any individual being released from any state correctional facility if the DOC finds that the assistance will support the individual's release into the community by preventing housing instability or homelessness.  Vouchers may only be issued for up to six months.  The requirement that the vouchers be funded with existing resources is removed.
 
The DOC must establish policies for prioritizing funds available for housing vouchers for individuals at risk of being released into homelessness or becoming homeless without assistance while taking into account the individual's risk to reoffend.  An individual may receive vouchers under either program so long as they do not receive a combined total of rental vouchers from the DOC that exceeds six months for each release from a state correctional facility.
 
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) must conduct an outcome evaluation and benefit-cost analysis of Washington's housing voucher program to account for expansion of the program.  The analysis must consider the impacts on homelessness, recidivism, criminal justice costs, use of public services, and other factors determined to be appropriate by the WSIPP.  The DOC must cooperate with the WSIPP to facilitate access to data or other resources necessary to complete the analysis.  By November 1, 2025, the WSIPP must submit a final report to the Governor and the Legislature.

Supervision Fees.
The interstate transfer application fee and DOC supervision intake fees are eliminated.  The Cost of Supervision Fund is repealed effective June 30, 2022, and the State Treasurer must transfer all residual funds to the General Fund.