S-4095.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 6253

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1994 Regular Session

By Senators Loveland and Winsley

Read first time 01/18/94.  Referred to Committee on Health & Human Services.

Authorizing creation of county departments of family services.

          AN ACT Relating to county departments of family services; amending RCW 13.04.035; adding a new section to chapter 36.39 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that there is a need to consolidate services for families and children within counties.  The legislature intends to authorize counties to create departments of family services to serve as central community clearinghouses for federal, state, and community issues and information, to provide funding for family and children services, and to be a one-stop agency for targeting services to families and children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 36.39 RCW to read as follows:

          County legislative authorities may adopt resolutions or ordinances authorizing departments of family services.  Resolutions and ordinances may require the following components for a department of family services:

          (1) Authorizing the county to select an administrator of the department to serve at the pleasure of the county legislative authority;

          (2) Permitting the county legislative authority to assume probation and detention services for juvenile offenders;

          (3) Permitting the county legislative authority to establish a baseline of detention services it intends to provide through the department of family services, and authorizing the department to deny detention or request reasonable payment for detention that exceeds the baseline;

          (4) Consolidation of services for families that are the responsibility of the county into the department of family services, including but not limited to immunization and other health services such as mental health services, developmental disabilities services, and alcohol and substance abuse services;

          (5) Authority to accept grants and other funding that may be available for family services through the federal or state government, or from other sources; and

          (6) Requiring the county department of family services to serve as the county agency for cooperating with the state, schools, private agencies, and others for coordinating community-based family services.

        Sec. 3.  RCW 13.04.035 and 1991 c 363 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

If a county does not create a department of family services under section 2 of this act, juvenile court, probation counselor, and detention services shall be administered by the superior court, except that by local court rule and agreement with the legislative authority of the county they may be administered by the legislative authority of the county in the manner prescribed by RCW 13.20.060:  PROVIDED, That in any county with a population of one million or more, such services shall be administered in accordance with chapter 13.20 RCW.  The administrative body shall appoint an administrator of juvenile court, probation counselor, and detention services who shall be responsible for day-to-day administration of such services, and who may also serve in the capacity of a probation counselor.  One person may, pursuant to the agreement of more than one administrative body, serve as administrator of more than one juvenile court.

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