S-0213.6 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5236
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State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995 Regular Session
By Senators Kohl, Hargrove, Long, Franklin, Prentice, Spanel and Fraser
Read first time 01/16/95. Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.
AN ACT Relating to intervention services for persons involved in prostitution; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that a number of people, mostly women, depend on prostitution for their survival or are likely to enter into prostitution activities in order to survive. Many of these people wish to leave or avoid prostitution, but are unable to do so because of problems related to drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and physical violence, lack of vocational skills, and/or lack of housing stability. The legislature further finds that people wishing to escape prostitution often fail to do so after receiving some assistance in the form of social services, because their treatment is not comprehensive in addressing all the physical and psychological problems that drove these people to become prostitutes in the first place. The legislature also finds that there is a high cost to taxpayers as a result of people being recycled through the local criminal justice system and incarceration, with no options to change their life-style. Focusing our efforts on treatment and intervention rather than incarceration is fiscally responsible and over the long run will save money. It is the intent of the legislature to establish a pilot project using existing assistance programs to address comprehensively the problems of persons who are prostitutes and who wish to abandon this activity. It is also the intent of the legislature, to the extent possible, to make use as peer counselors in this pilot project those who have escaped prostitution.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department of social and health services, within available funding and using available programs, shall implement a pilot project for prevention and intervention in prostitution activities. "Prostitution" includes but is not limited to topless dancing, nude dancing, prostitution, escort services, and other behavior undertaken by persons who become involved in prostitution activities due to economic, emotional, chemical dependency, or other reasons coercive in nature. The pilot project shall have two objectives: (1) The prevention of new workers entering into prostitution and (2) treatment and intervention for those already working as prostitutes. The treatment and intervention objective shall include the following treatment and training elements: Counseling and treatment related to alcohol and drug abuse, sexual abuse, and battering and violence, peer counseling, health counseling services, housing relief, basic education, vocational training, and job training.
Vocational training and job training include apprenticeship training programs, job readiness, job placement, child care, education, job training, and other basic support services necessary to help a person enter the traditional job market.
The department shall provide bilingual services as necessary to assure the success of project participants.
The department may not enroll more than fifty persons into the pilot project at one time. Income assistance eligibility criteria apply to project applicants. Pilot project participants may receive other services through department programs incorporated into the pilot project, such as chemical dependency programs and job training programs, if the participant meets the eligibility criteria of the specific program. The department of social and health services may act cooperatively with the employment security department to meet the training objectives of the project through programs already undertaken jointly by the two agencies.
The project shall terminate on July 1, 1997, unless specifically extended by the legislature. All project participants shall cease to receive assistance through the pilot project on July 1, 1997. The department shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the successes and failures of the project and shall recommend to the legislature whether additional legislative action is needed to address the problems related to prostitution.
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