H-4378.2
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2670
State of Washington
65th Legislature
2018 Regular Session
By House Early Learning & Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Kilduff, Muri, Stonier, Stambaugh, Sawyer, Kagi, Sells, Reeves, Ormsby, Jinkins, Santos, Bergquist, Doglio, McBride, Ortiz-Self, Stanford, and Pollet)
READ FIRST TIME 02/02/18.
AN ACT Relating to providing services and supports to pregnant and parenting minors to improve educational attainment; adding a new section to chapter 74.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.160 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the United States census reported for 2016 that nearly twenty-five percent of people ages twenty-five and older without a high school diploma lived in poverty and that intergenerational poverty can affect the lives of future generations unless the cycle of poverty is interrupted with effective services. Therefore, the legislature intends to improve family unity, student outcomes, and the development of our future workforce by removing programmatic barriers to services for pregnant and parenting minors.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.12 RCW to read as follows:
(1) An applicant who is under eighteen years of age and is pregnant or has a dependent child or children in the applicant's care is eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families regardless of the applicant's income or available resources.
(2) In order to be eligible, the minor parent must be actively progressing towards meeting the education requirements established under RCW 74.08A.380 and be otherwise qualified to receive assistance under this title.
(3) If a minor parent lives with a parent or guardian who is not receiving assistance under this title, the income and resources of the parent or guardian of the applicant may not be considered for the purposes of determining the minor parent's eligibility for assistance.
(4) If a minor parent lives with their child's natural or adoptive parent or stepparent, the income and resources of the other parent may not be considered for the purposes of determining the minor parent's eligibility for assistance.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.216 RCW to read as follows:
A parent who is under eighteen years of age and is attending high school or is working toward completing a general educational development certificate is eligible to receive working connections child care. When determining consumer eligibility and copayment under this section, the department of social and health services:
(1) Must, within existing resources, authorize full-day subsidized child care during the school year in cases where:
(a) The consumer is participating in one hundred ten hours of approved activities per month;
(b) The household income of the consumer does not exceed eighty-five percent of the state median income; and
(c) The consumer meets all other program eligibility requirements;
(2) May not consider the availability of the other biological parent to provide care; and
(3) May not require a copayment that is greater than the minimum copayment established by the department for the program in rule.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 RCW to read as follows:
(1) By July 1, 2020, at the request of an eligible student, a school district:
(a) May allow the student to transport his or her infant on a school bus or other student transportation vehicle provided by the district. The infant must be transported in a rear-facing child restraint system as defined in the federal motor vehicle safety standards in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 571.213;
(b) Must, in cases where a district denies a student's request to transport his or her infant by school bus, authorize other arrangements for individual transportation in accordance with RCW 28A.160.030.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "eligible student" has the same meaning as set forth in RCW 28A.160.160.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  Sections 2 and 3 of this act take effect May 1, 2019.
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