BILL REQ. #:  H-1035.1 

Read first time 02/10/2003.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

     AN ACT Relating to health and human services and information referral; adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   FINDINGS. The legislature finds that the implementation of a single easy to use telephone number, 211, for public access to information and referral for health and human services and disaster-related information will benefit the citizens of the state of Washington by providing easier access to available health and human services, by reducing inefficiencies in connecting people with the desired service providers, and by reducing duplication of efforts. The legislature further finds in a time of reduced resources for providing health and human services that establishing a cost-effective means to continue to provide information to the public about available services is of paramount importance. The legislature further finds that an integrated statewide system of local information and referral service providers will build upon an already existing network of experienced service providers without the necessity of creating a new agency, department, or system to provide 211 services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   211 PROGRAM. There is created within the department the 211 program to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   DEFINITIONS. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Department" means the employment security department.
     (2) "WIN 211" means Washington information network 211, a 501(c)(3) corporation incorporated in the state of Washington.
     (3) "Approved 211 service provider" means a nonprofit agency or organization designated by WIN 211 to provide 211 services.
     (4) "211 service area" means an area of the state of Washington identified by WIN 211 as an area in which an approved 211 service provider will provide 211 services.
     (5) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department or the commissioner's designee.
     (6) "211" means the abbreviated dialing code assigned by the federal communications commission on July 21, 2000, for consumer access to community information and referral services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   211 ACCOUNT. The 211 account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. The 211 account shall include revenue from the sources established by this chapter, appropriations by the legislature, private contributions, and all other sources. Expenditures from the 211 account shall be used only for the implementation and support of the 211 system.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   USE OF MONEYS FOR PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF 211--ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. (1) The department shall use moneys from the 211 account and other legislative appropriations to finance in whole or in part the study, design, implementation, and support of a statewide 211 system.
     (2) Activities eligible for assistance from the 211 account and other legislative appropriations include, but are not limited to:
     (a) Creating a structure for a statewide 211 resources data base that will meet the alliance for information and referral systems standards for information and referral systems data bases and that will be integrated with local resources data bases maintained by approved 211 service providers;
     (b) Developing a statewide resources data base for the 211 system;
     (c) Enhancing the access Washington resource data base maintained by the corrections clearinghouse division of the department to support the 211 system;
     (d) Maintaining public information available from state agencies, departments, and programs that provide health and human services for access by 211 service providers;
     (e) Providing grants to approved 211 service providers for the design, development, and implementation of 211 for its 211 service area;
     (f) Providing grants to approved 211 service providers to enable them to provide 211 service on an ongoing basis; and
     (g) Providing grants to approved 211 service providers to enable the provision of 211 services on a twenty-four-hour per day seven-day a week basis.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INFORMATION REPORTING. A health and human services agency or a public or private entity receiving state-appropriated funds to provide health and human services shall provide the commissioner with information about the health and human services provided by the agency or entity for inclusion in the statewide 211 resources data base. The agency or entity shall provide the information in a form determined by the commissioner and shall update the information at least quarterly.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   NEW INFORMATION SERVICES. Before establishing a new public information telephone line or hotline, a state agency or department that provides health and human services shall consult with the commissioner about using the 211 system to provide access for the public to the information to be made available.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY. The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, regarding grants, and the requirement for eligible recipients, consistent with this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   CAPTIONS NOT LAW. Captions used in this chapter are not part of the law.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11   EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2003.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   Sections 1 through 11 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 70 RCW.