H-0339

AN ACT Relating to the Washington family policy center; adding new sections to chapter 28B.20 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that societal problems such as child abuse, child neglect, family violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, and dropping out of school affect the health, happiness, and welfare of families throughout the state of Washington. The legislature also finds that, while exemplary initiatives exist in the private and public sectors to address these societal problems, these efforts are fragmented and insufficient given the magnitude and frequency of the problems. For example, professionals often work in isolation from one another and are unaware of parallel efforts to serve the same group of people.

The legislature finds that a central point for information and research on issues related to families does not exist in the state of Washington. The legislature intends to establish a state-wide interdisciplinary family policy center at the University of Washington. The center is intended to develop and maintain a comprehensive data bank and to produce strategies for dealing with the complex social problems faced by children and their families. The center is also intended to complement the home economics research, instruction, and cooperative extension programs at Washington State University.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The Washington family policy center is established at the University of Washington's graduate school of social work. The center shall carry out its functions in concert with other public agencies and public graduate schools of social work in the state so that special areas of expertise within these agencies and institutions will be utilized. Specifically, the center shall subcontract with the Eastern Washington University graduate school of social work to address rural family policy issues.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The purpose of the Washington center for family policy is to provide information, conduct requested policy research, and promote education and training.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The duties of the center shall include, but shall not be limited to:

(1) Collecting and analyzing data from private and public agencies and from universities on issues of concern to children and families;

(2) Providing information for legislators, researchers, program directors, and other individuals concerned with serving families. This information may be collected from the fields of social work, medicine, the law and law enforcement, mental health, health care, public health, education, public administration, and other relevant fields;

(3) Identifying policies, model approaches, and other resources that are effective in addressing the problems experienced by families and children;

(4) Developing a yearly white paper on family matters and other reports as requested; and

(5) Facilitating conferences, work groups, and study sessions for policy makers, program planners, and service providers from various disciplines but with common concerns.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The duties of the center may include, but shall not be limited to:

(1) Coordinating and contracting for research on the problems encountered by children and their families. The research topics may include a survey of existing barriers to service delivery, examination of cost-benefit concerns in service delivery, and evaluations of the effectiveness of existing programs;

(2) Promoting educational activities, including seminars, training conferences, professional exchanges, and interdisciplinary problem-solving work groups; and

(3) Providing a referral service to education and training programs that address children and family issues.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The center may collaborate with other schools and departments in the university that have expertise in child and family issues, including, but not limited to, public health, public affairs, law, nursing, and medicine. The center shall subcontract with other public graduate schools of social work that have expertise in areas not readily available at the center. The center may also collaborate, cooperate, and consult with other institutions of higher education that possess expertise needed by the center.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The center may receive such gifts, grants, and endowments as may be made from time to time in trust or otherwise for the use and benefit of the mission of the center. The center may enter into contracts with public and private persons or organizations. The center may expend the gifts, grants, endowments, or contractual funds, or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, contracts, or endowments. For the purpose of defraying all or part of the cost of the center's activities and materials, the center may charge reasonable fees or other appropriate charges for attendance at workshops and conferences and for publications and other materials that the center is authorized to prepare and distribute.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 7 of this act are each added to chapter 28B.20 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The sum of one million one hundred sixty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the University of Washington for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, to carry out the purposes of this act.