H-1240.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1687

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Lambert, Costa, Padden, Appelwick, Fuhrman, Grant, Sheahan, Tokuda, Chappell, Thibaudeau, Veloria, Morris, Hickel, Huff, Patterson and Mastin

Read first time 02/03/95.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Providing for distribution of appropriations for court-appointed special advocate programs.

    AN ACT Relating to court-appointed special advocate programs; and adding a new section to chapter 43.330 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall distribute such funds as are appropriated for the state-wide technical support, development, and enhancement of court-appointed special advocate programs.

    (2) In order to receive money under subsection (1) of this section, an organization providing state-wide technical support, development, and enhancement of court-appointed special advocate programs must meet all of the following requirements:

    (a) The organization must provide state-wide support, development, and enhancement of court-appointed special advocate programs that offer guardian ad litem services as provided in RCW 26.12.175, 26.44.053, and 13.34.100;

    (b) All guardians ad litem working under court-appointed special advocate programs supported, developed, or enhanced by the organization must be volunteers and may not receive payment for services rendered pursuant to the program.  The organization may include paid positions that are exclusively administrative in nature, in keeping with the scope and purpose of this section; and

    (c) The organization providing state-wide technical support, development, and enhancement of court-appointed special advocate programs must be a public benefit nonprofit corporation as defined in RCW 24.03.490.

    (3) If more than one organization is eligible to receive money under this section, the department shall develop criteria for allocation of appropriated money among the eligible organizations.

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