SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6349

              As Passed Senate, February 10, 1996

Title:  An act relating to educational program for juveniles in detention facilities.

Brief Description:  Revising educational program for juveniles in detention facilities.

Sponsors:  Senators McAuliffe, Johnson, Goings and Rasmussen; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  1/25/96, 1/31/96 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/10/96, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Kohl, Long, Moyer, Prentice, Schow, Strannigan, Thibaudeau and Zarelli.

Staff:  Jodi Walker (786-7464)

Background:  Under current law, school districts provide educational services to residents of juvenile detention facilities located within the school district.  The facilities are operated by the Department of Social and Health Services.

In 1994, the Legislature enacted a juvenile offender basic training camp program. This program is a structured incarceration program for juvenile offenders.  The juvenile offender basic training camp is required to provide participants with basic education, prevocational training, and other counseling.

Summary of Bill:  The school districts must provide services to juvenile offender basic training camps either operated by the Department of Social and Health Services or a facility contracted by the department.

Juvenile offender basic training camp programs are also included in the definition of "residential schools" for purposes of the act.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 23, 1996.

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

Testimony For:  All juvenile offender boot camps must have educational programs.  However, a private vendor contracted with by the Department of Social and Health Services to operate a boot camp cannot receive state funding without technical revisions to the statute.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  David Griffith, Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, Dept. of Social and Health Services (pro).