SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5665

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation, February 7, 2019

Title: An act relating to the creation of a youth development work group within the department of children, youth, and families.

Brief Description: Concerning the creation of a youth development work group within the department of children, youth, and families.

Sponsors: Senators Wilson, C., Randall and Das.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation: 1/30/19, 2/07/19 [DPS-WM, w/oRec].

Brief Summary of First Substitute Bill

  • Creates a youth development work group in the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, REENTRY & REHABILITATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5665 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators Darneille, Chair; Nguyen, Vice Chair; Walsh, Ranking Member; Cleveland and Wilson, C..

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.

Signed by Senators O'Ban and Zeiger.

Staff: Alison Mendiola (786-7488)

Background: The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) was created by Legislature in 2017. The stated intent of creating this new agency is to improve the delivery of services and the outcomes for children and families through delivery of these services by housing early learning, child welfare, and juvenile justice services in the same agency. DCYF must lead ongoing work to minimize or eliminate systemic barriers to effective, integrated services across state agencies serving children, youth, and families and help the state create a data-focused environment in which there are aligned outcomes and shared accountability for those outcomes.

Among other duties, DCYF is to establish outcome measure goals and report to the Legislature on these outcome measures and progress toward these goals no less than annually. The outcome measures include:

DCYF must report on outcome measures, actions taken, progress toward these goals, and plans for the future year no less than annually.

Summary of Bill (First Substitute): A youth development work group is created within DCYF with the purpose of developing a mission, vision, and goals to support youth ages five to young adulthood with a racial equity and inclusion lens.

Work Group Tasks. The youth development work group shall:

Work Group Members. The youth development work group is comprised of twenty-one members, fifteen of which are voting members. To ensure racial and geographic diversity by reflecting the demographics of impacted youth populations, DCYF is to appoint fifteen voting members including:

The youth development work group must include four voting members who represent the Legislature. The president of the Senate shall appoint one member from each of the largest caucuses of the Senate. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member from each of the largest caucuses of the House of Representatives.

The youth development work group must include nine nonvoting members representing:

DCYF is provide up to five stipends to cover travel and time for youth development work group members that do not have the resources or job classification to participate in a statewide work group, such as parents and youth. DCYF may form an agreement with a private entity to receive matching contributions to support the activities of the workgroup including youth, parent, and guardian engagement or other workgroup activities.

Staff support for the work group is provided by DCYF.

Reporting Requirements. By December 1st annually, the youth development work group is to submit a report to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature. The first report is due by December 1, 2019.

In the report, the youth development work group is to provide recommendations that:

The provisions of this bill expire December 31, 2021.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY HUMAN SERVICES, REENTRY & REHABILITATION COMMITTEE (First Substitute): The size of the workgroup is reduced from 28 to 21 members—16 voting, 5 nonvoting. DCYF may form an agreement with a private entity to receive matching contributions to support the activities of the workgroup including youth, parent, and guardian engagement or other workgroup activities.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 25, 2019.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: Yes.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill: The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: DCYF was created in 2017 after the convening of the Blue Ribbon Task Force which provided recommendations about prevention so kids do not end in foster care, among other things. The idea was that issues relating to children and youth would no longer be siloed. As this agency gets off the ground, youth engagement needs to be part of its blue print. Prevention and promotion of positive engagement and outcomes should not stop at age five, but when kids transition to K-12, they lose all the supports in place for children aged zero to five. We do not want these kids to end up involved in the system, we need to get in early and create opportunities and strategies for positive outcomes. There are a lot of youth out there engaged in intensive services. We can do better. We can also be more thoughtful about how we develop youth policies and engage youth—this work group would provide that vehicle.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Claire Wilson, Prime Sponsor; Rene Murry, Youth Development Executives of King County; David de la Fuente, Communities in Schools of Kent; David Beard, School's Out Washington.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.