Brief Description: Changing provisions concerning youth shelter notification to parents about runaway youth.

Sponsors: Representatives Pettigrew, Kagi, Santos and Kenney.

Hearing Date: 2/18/03

Staff: Trudes Tango Hutcheson (786-7384).

Background:

When a minor has run away from home without permission, the Family Reconciliation Act has procedures to help return the child to the parent or get appropriate assistance. One of those procedures requires the reporting of the location of a runaway minor.

Any person who provides shelter to a minor, without legal authorization, knowing at the time that the minor is away from the parent's home without permission, must promptly report the location of the minor to: (a) the parent; (b) the law enforcement agency; or (c) the Department of Social and Health Services.

"Promptly report" means that the report must be made within eight hours after the person has knowledge that the minor is away from home without permission. The report may be made by telephone or any other reasonable means. When the department receives a report, it shall make a good faith attempt to notify the parent and offer services designed to resolve any conflict and reunify the family.

The administrative rules governing licensing requirements for overnight youth shelters define an "overnight youth shelter" as a licensed facility operated by a nonprofit agency that provides overnight shelter to homeless or runaway youth and does not provide residential care during daytime hours.

Summary of Bill:

Amends the general requirement that a person providing shelter to a runaway without legal authorization report the location of the child to the parent, law enforcement agency or the DSHS within eight hours.

A professional employed by a licensed overnight youth shelter or organization whose stated mission is to provide services to homeless or runaway youth who, without legal authorization, provides shelter to a minor knowing that the minor is away from home without permission, must report the location of the minor to either the parent, the law enforcement agency, or the department within 72 hours after the program supervisor of the facility has knowledge that the minor is away from home without permission. The report may be made by telephone or other reasonable means.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not Requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.