SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5550
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Children & Family Services & Corrections, February 14, 2003
Title: An act relating to prohibiting secure community transition facilities from being sited near public and private youth camps.
Brief Description: Prohibiting secure community transition facilities from being sited near public and private youth camps.
Sponsors: Senators West, Stevens, Kastama, Roach, Kline, Johnson, Fairley, T. Sheldon, Thibaudeau, Benton, Keiser, Eide, Prentice, Kohl-Welles, Esser, Shin, Oke and Winsley.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Children & Family Services & Corrections: 2/12/03, 2/14/03 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES & CORRECTIONS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5550 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Stevens, Chair; Parlette, Vice Chair; Carlson, Deccio, Hargrove and McAuliffe.
Staff: Fara Daun (786-7459)
Background: In 2001, the Legislature passed 3ESSB 6151. The bill was enacted and became effective June 26, 2001. The act established the Joint Select Committee for Equitable Distribution of Secure Community Transition Facilities (Committee). The Committee was charged with reviewing and making any necessary revisions to the provisions for equitable distribution and siting of secure community transition facilities (SCTFs). The Committee produced a report and recommended legislation. That legislation became ESSB 6594, which was enacted on March 21, 2002.
During the Committee work sessions, there were several proposals to adopt a broader list of risk potential facilities and activities. The only amendment the Committee made to that section was to define "school bus stop." The legislation also required King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Thurston, Clark, and Spokane counties, and the cities in those counties, to adopt or amend their development regulations to address the siting of SCTFs. Cities or counties that did not adopt regulations in compliance with the statutory requirements by October 1, 2002, would be preempted by operation of law and DSHS would be able to site without regard to existing development regulations or other laws.
Summary of Substitute Bill: The definition of risk potential facilities and activities includes public and private youth camps. An SCTF may not be sited adjacent to, across the street from, or within the line of sight of a risk potential facility or activity unless the site was identified pursuant to a process for siting adopted by a city or county in compliance with the requirement to develop regulations for siting requirements under ESSB 6594.
The legislation applies prospectively and does not apply to development regulations adopted or amended prior to the effective date of the act.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The original bill was not considered.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Testimony For: Thousands of children and youth are served by public and private youth camps every summer. The camps are also used by children on weekends during the off-season and rented out to families and community groups throughout the year. The campers are in unfamiliar territory and are vulnerable in a different way than children in schools. The precautions a school can take regarding safety are more extensive than those appropriate at a camp. Youth camps should be specifically added to the list of risk potential activities and facilities.
Testimony Against: DSHS can already include camps and did include the camps mentioned earlier in its consideration of the Carnation site. However, the camps were outside the zone set by statute and their presence did not preclude the site.
Testified: Judy Rosentswieg, Girl Scouts (pro); Kevin Glackin, Catholic Conference (pro); Tom Nielsen, American Camping Association (pro); Brad Farmer, Boy Scouts of America (pro); Sharon Foster, YMCAs of Washington (pro); Tim Brown, DSHS (no position specified).