S-1663.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5462

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove, Wojahn, Deccio, Loveland, Winsley, Snyder, Spanel, Oke, McAuliffe, Gardner, Bauer and Patterson; by request of Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development and Department of Social and Health Services)

Read first time 02/19/1999.

Providing that children should not be placed in the foster care system if homelessness is the primary reason for placement into the system.

    AN ACT Relating to the provision of services to the homeless; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that homelessness is a significant problem in Washington.  Planning for and serving the shelter and housing needs of the homeless has been and continues to be a responsibility of the department of community, trade, and economic development.  In order to adequately and effectively address the complex issues confronting homeless families with children, planning for and evaluating such services must be a collaborative effort between the department of community, trade, and economic development, the department of social and health services, other local, state, and federal government agencies, and community organizations.  It is the intent of the legislature that children should not be placed in the foster care system if homelessness is the primary reason for placement or the continuation of their placement.

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