FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2160

                         C 108 L 94

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Concerning employees of public housing authorities.

By Representatives Ogden, Wineberry and H. Myers.

House Committee on Trade, Economic Development & Housing

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

Background:  Under current law, the Washington State Patrol is authorized to disclose, at the request of a school district, business organization, or state agency which educates, treats, supervises or provides recreation to children or developmentally disabled persons: (1) an applicant's record of convictions of certain offenses against persons; (2) civil findings of child abuse or exploitation in dependency or dissolution proceedings when the perpetrator contested the allegation of abuse; and (3) disciplinary board final decisions.  An applicant is defined as any prospective employee or volunteer who has unsupervised access to children, developmentally disabled persons or non-certified educational personnel.

Local public housing authorities, through various federal, state, and local programs, provide safe and sanitary housing for many lower-income persons and populations with special needs.  These populations consist of a large number of developmentally disabled persons, elderly persons, and children who are considered vulnerable to abuse or exploitation.

The current definition of "business or organization" does not include a public housing authority as a governmental entity authorized to request background information on prospective employees or volunteers.  Many states will not provide background information on prospective employees or volunteers to public housing authorities unless they are specifically authorized, in state law, to request such information.

Summary: The definition of "business or organization" is amended to include public housing authorities as entities that can request background checks on prospective employees or volunteers who will or may have unsupervised access to children under the age of 16, developmentally disabled persons or vulnerable adults.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  92 0

Senate 46 0

Effective:  June 9, 1994