Passed by the Senate April 22, 1991

Yeas 45 Nays 0

President of the Senate

Passed by the House April 19, 1991

Yeas 98 Nays 0

Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Approved

Governor of the State of Washington

CERTIFICATE

I, Gordon Golob, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5669 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

Secretary

FILED

Secretary of State

State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to housing trust fund priorities for projects submitted by regional support networks; and amending RCW 43.185.060, 43.185.070, and 71.24.300.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 43.185.060 and 1986 c 298 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

Organizations that may receive assistance from the department under this chapter are local governments, local housing authorities, regional support networks established under chapter 71.24 RCW, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, and regional or state-wide nonprofit housing assistance organizations.

Sec. 2. RCW 43.185.070 and 1988 c 286 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) During each calendar year in which funds are available for use by the department from the housing trust fund, as prescribed in RCW 43.185.030, the department shall announce to all known interested parties, and through major media throughout the state, a grant and loan application period of at least ninety days' duration. This announcement shall be made as often as the director deems appropriate for proper utilization of resources, but at least twice annually. The department shall then promptly grant as many applications as will utilize available funds less appropriate administrative costs of the department((~~, not to~~)). Administrative costs paid out of the housing trust fund may not exceed ((~~thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1988, and seventy-five thousand dollars in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1989, and not to exceed~~)) five percent of annual revenues ((~~to the fund thereafter~~)) available for distribution to housing trust fund projects. In awarding funds under this chapter, the department shall provide for a geographic distribution on a state-wide basis.

(2) The department shall give first priority to applications for projects and activities which utilize existing privately owned housing stock including privately owned housing stock purchased by nonprofit public development authorities. Such projects and activities shall be evaluated under subsection (3) of this section. Second priority shall be given to activities and projects which utilize existing publicly owned housing stock. Such projects and activities shall be evaluated under subsection (3) of this section.

(3) The department shall give preference for applications based on some or all of the ((~~following~~)) criteria under this subsection, and similar projects and activities shall be evaluated under the same criteria:

(a) The degree of leveraging of other funds that will occur;

(b) The degree of commitment from programs to provide necessary habilitation and support services for projects focusing on special needs populations;

(c) Recipient contributions to total project costs, including allied contributions from other sources such as professional, craft and trade services, and lender interest rate subsidies;

((~~(c)~~)) (d) Local government project contributions in the form of infrastructure improvements, and others;

((~~(d)~~)) (e) Projects that encourage ownership, management, and other project-related responsibility opportunities;

((~~(e)~~)) (f) Projects that demonstrate a strong probability of serving the original target group or income level for a period of at least ((~~fifteen~~)) twenty-five years;

((~~(f)~~)) (g) The applicant has the demonstrated ability, stability and resources to implement the project;

((~~(g)~~)) (h) Projects which demonstrate serving the greatest need; ((~~and~~

~~(h)~~)) (i) Projects that provide housing for persons and families with the lowest incomes;

(j) Projects serving special needs populations which are under statutory mandate to develop community housing;

(k) Project location and access to employment centers in the region or area; and

(l) Project location and access to available public transportation services.

(4) The department shall only approve applications for projects for mentally ill persons that are consistent with a regional support network six-year capital and operating plan.

Sec. 3. RCW 71.24.300 and 1989 c 205 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

A county authority or a group of county authorities whose combined population is no less than forty thousand may enter into a joint operating agreement to form a regional support network. The roles and responsibilities of county authorities shall be determined by the terms of that agreement and the provisions of law. The state mental health authority may not determine the roles and responsibilities of county authorities as to each other under regional support networks by rule, except to assure that all duties required of regional support networks are assigned and that a single authority has final responsibility for all available resources and performance under the regional support network's contract with the secretary.

(1) Regional support networks shall within three months of recognition submit an overall six-year operating and capital plan, timeline, and budget and submit progress reports and an updated two-year plan biennially thereafter, to assume within available resources all of the following duties by July 1, 1995, instead of those presently assigned to counties under RCW 71.24.045(1):

(a) Administer and provide for the availability of all resource management services, residential services, and community support services.

(b) Administer and provide for the availability of all investigation, transportation, court-related, and other services provided by the state or counties pursuant to chapter 71.05 RCW.

(c) By July 1, 1993, provide within the boundaries of each regional support network evaluation and treatment services for at least eighty-five percent of persons detained or committed for periods up to seventeen days according to chapter 71.05 RCW. Regional support networks with populations of less than one hundred fifty thousand may contract to purchase evaluation and treatment services from other networks. For regional support networks that are created after June 30, 1991, the requirements of (c) of this subsection must be met by July 1, 1995.

(d) By July 1, 1993, administer a portion of funds appropriated by the legislature to house mentally ill persons in state institutions from counties within the boundaries of any regional support network, with the exception of mentally ill offenders, and provide for the care of all persons needing evaluation and treatment services for periods up to seventeen days according to chapter 71.05 RCW in appropriate residential services, which may include state institutions. The regional support networks shall reimburse the state for use of state institutions at a rate equal to that assumed by the legislature when appropriating funds for such care at state institutions during the biennium when reimbursement occurs. The duty of a state hospital to accept persons for evaluation and treatment under chapter 71.05 RCW is limited by the responsibilities assigned to regional support networks under this section. For regional support networks that are created after June 30, 1991, the requirements of (d) of this subsection must be met by July 1, 1995.

(e) Administer and provide for the availability of all other mental health services, which shall include patient counseling, day treatment, consultation, education services, and mental health services to children as provided in this chapter.

(f) Establish standards and procedures for reviewing individual service plans and determining when that person may be discharged from resource management services.

(2) Regional support networks shall assume all duties assigned to county authorities by this chapter and chapter 71.05 RCW.

(3) A regional support network may request that any state-owned land, building, facility, or other capital asset which was ever purchased, deeded, given, or placed in trust for the care of the mentally ill and which is within the boundaries of a regional support network be made available to support the operations of the regional support network. State agencies managing such capital assets shall give first priority to requests for their use pursuant to this chapter.

(4) Each regional support network shall appoint a mental health advisory board which shall review and provide comments on plans and policies developed under this chapter. The composition of the board shall be broadly representative of the demographic character of the region and the mentally ill persons served therein. Length of terms of board members shall be determined by the regional support network.

(5) Regional support networks shall assume all duties specified in their plans and joint operating agreements through biennial contractual agreements with the secretary.

(6) Counties or groups of counties participating in a regional support network are not subject to RCW 71.24.045(7). The office of financial management shall consider information gathered in studies required in this chapter and information about the experience of other states to propose a mental health services administrative cost lid to the 1991 legislature which shall include administrative costs of licensed service providers, the state psychiatric hospitals and the department.

(7) The first regional support network contract may include a pilot project to: Establish standards and procedures for (a) making referrals for comprehensive medical examinations and treatment programs for those whose mental illness is caused or exacerbated by organic disease, and (b) training staff in recognizing the relationship between mental illness and organic disease.

(8) Regional support networks may receive technical assistance from the housing trust fund and may identify and submit projects for housing and housing support services to the housing trust fund established under chapter 43.185 RCW. Projects identified or submitted under this subsection must be fully integrated with the regional support network six-year operating and capital plan, timeline, and budget required by subsection (1) of this section.