BILL REQ. #:  S-1303.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/15/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to an empirical study of the validity and reliability of the current child welfare safety assessment tool; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct an empirical study of the validity and reliability of the safety assessment tool currently used in child welfare cases by the children's administration at the department of social and health services. In conducting this study, the institute must identify: (1) Whether other empirically based child welfare safety assessment tools exist and, if so, compare those tools to the tool used by the children's administration; (2) whether other factors or combination of factors not included in the current safety assessment tool should be included to help predict real outcomes; and (3) where possible, whether there is unneccesary duplication in the application of the family assessment tool used by the department.
     As part of this study, the institute must consult with an advisory group consisting of representatives of the research department at the administrative office of the courts, the research and data analysis division at the department of social and health services, a university-based child welfare research entity, and caseworkers with the children's administration who use the tool.
     A report on the study is due to the appropriate policy committees of the legislature by December 15, 2013.