FINAL BILL REPORT

2SHB 586

PARTIAL VETO

                                  C 503 L 87

BYHouse Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Scott, Lewis, Brekke, Winsley, Leonard, Brough, Betrozoff, R. King, Doty, P. King, Todd, Unsoeld and May)

Providing for comprehensive child protective services.

House Committe on Human Services

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Following several reviews of the Child Protective Services Program, a group of professionals recommended several steps to improve program operations.  The group, consisting of members of the House of Representatives, professionals representing law enforcement, academia, day care, medical fields, social services and corrections, unanimously concluded that certain specific services needed to be strengthened and expanded.  These included such community resources as multi-disciplinary teams, therapeutic day care, foster parent support services, visiting public health nurses, parenting education and counseling services.  In addition, the group felt that to improve the performance of department staff several changes were needed.  These included additional staff, implementation of a risk assessment tool for prioritizing and screening cases, additional training and experience to become and remain a caseworker.

SUMMARY:

A children's services pilot project is created in Kent, Spokane and Chehalis providing a complete continuum of care from early intervention through foster care and permanency planning.  A risk assessment tool prioritizing child abuse and neglect cases is to be implemented in each of the three pilot sites.  A management information system for collecting baseline children's services data and evaluating the projects is established.  The project will begin on January 1, 1988, and end on December 31, 1989.  An independent evaluation contracted out by the Legislative Budget Committee is authorized.  The Joint Select Committee on Children and Family Service is established to oversee the projects.

Training standards for caseworkers are strengthened by requiring that training be completed before a caseworker can perform tasks without direct supervision.  The Department of Social and Health Services is required to develop a plan to implement a children's services training academy.

Training is established for juvenile court personnel who handle cases of child abuse and neglect including juvenile court judges, prosecutors, public defenders, administrative law judges and law enforcement through the Office of Administrator for the Courts, Office of Administrative Hearings and Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Community multi-disciplinary teams are mandated and defined.  The department is required to provide information on and referral to available counseling services for victims of child abuse and neglect.

The department is required to increase foster parent training and supportive services, increase therapeutic day care, hire 21 clerical support staff, use electronic support equipment, hire 45 public health nurses, establish a Title IV B and E eligibility determination program to ensure maximum use of federal funds, hire homemakers and hire six assistant attorneys general.

Criminal penalties, under the crime witness law, for failure to report are expanded to include sexual offenses against adults or children and assault likely to include bodily harm against children or adults unable to care for themselves.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 96   0

      Senate    48     0(Senate amended)

      House 95   0(House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 1, 1987

Partial Veto Summary:  Provisions creating and relating to the Joint Select Committee on Children and Family Services are deleted.  (See VETO MESSAGE)