HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1543

             As Reported By House Committee On:

               Criminal Justice & Corrections

Title:  An act relating to the prevention of juvenile violence.

Brief Description:  Creating the family investment account to reduce youth violence.

Sponsors:  Representatives Radcliff, Tokuda, Ballasiotes, Skinner, Cooper, Chopp, Blalock, Conway, Costa, Lantz, Cole, Wolfe, O'Brien, Mason, Wood and Scott.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Criminal Justice & Corrections:  2/11/97, 2/25/97 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Ballasiotes, Chairman; Benson, Vice Chairman; O'Brien, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blalock; Delvin; Dickerson; Mitchell and Sullivan.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 4 members:  Representatives Koster, Vice Chairman; Cairnes; Hickel and Robertson.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

Background:  The Washington Council of Child Abuse and Neglect is an executive office within the Office of the Governor.  The council assists private and public agencies in identifying and establishing community-based educational programs for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.  In establishing the council, the Legislature intended that an increase in prevention programs would help decrease the breakdown in families and reduce the need for state intervention and state expense.  To achieve these goals, the council may contract for a broad array of services and programs.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Legislature finds that community deterioration and family disintegration are increasing problems in the state.  One clear indicator of this damage is juvenile crime and violence.  The Legislature finds that prevention is one of the best methods of fighting juvenile crime and is cost-effective.  The Legislature finds that confining more juveniles and building more institutions is only one part of the solution; increased spending on confinement must be linked to increased funding on prevention.

A family investment account is created in the custody of the state treasurer.  On January 1, 1998, the state treasurer must transfer money from the state general fund to the family investment account in an amount equal to any increase in capital and operating expenditures for the institutional services program of the juvenile rehabilitation administration for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997 over that of fiscal year June 30, 1996.  On each subsequent January, the state treasurer shall transfer increases in expenditures in each fiscal year over the previous fiscal year.  The Office of Financial Management must notify the state of the amount that needs to be transferred.  The amount transferred may not exceed $18 million. 

The Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect may make grants of money in the family investment account.  The grants are for the purpose of reducing certain conditions associated with entry of youth into the juvenile justice system. They must be used to prevent juvenile crime and not for the purpose of confinement or treatment of adjudicated or diverted juvenile offenders.  The grant applications must also meet several other criteria.

A grant review team is established to review the grants and to make recommendations about which applicants should receive funding.  Only the executive director or his or designee may authorize expenditures from the account. 

The council must report biennially to the Governor and to the Legislature concerning the council=s activities in preventing juvenile crime.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A technical correction is made to provide that the cap on the program is $18 million a biennium instead of a year.  An additional grant criteria is added to provide that the grant applicant must demonstrate the project is locally planned and outcome driven.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  Prevention programs work to reduce juvenile crime.  Recidivism is high among youth because they are not receiving services before they enter the juvenile justice system.  There is plenty of information about programs that work. The grant programs should be consistent with community network proposals.  Programs should be based on research.  Prevention programs should be integrated.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Renee Radcliff, prime sponsor (pro); Representative Kip

Tokuda (pro); Glenn Dunnam, Yelm Police Department (pro); Peter Berliner, The Children=s Alliance (pro); Mike Patrick, Council of Police (undecided); Holly Middleton, Children=s Home Society (pro); Margaret Casey, Washington State Catholic Conference (pro); Ruth Kagi, Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (pro); and Michelle Roberts, Port Angeles Teen Health.