BILL REQ. #: S-1626.1
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/22/05.
AN ACT Relating to facilitating communication of information concerning dependent children; and amending RCW 13.34.350.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 13.34.350 and 2001 c 52 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
In order to facilitate communication of information needed to serve
the best interest of any child who is the subject of a dependency case
filed under this chapter, the department of social and health services
shall((, consistent with state and federal law governing the release of
confidential information, establish guidelines, and shall use those
guidelines for the facilitation of)) convene a work group to recommend
standards to be used in facilitating communication ((of relevant
information among)) with department divisions, service providers, the
courts, the family, caregivers, caseworkers, and others. The work
group shall make recommendations regarding definitions of categories of
information to be used, who should have access to categories of
information, how long it is to be retained, how and when appropriate
information is to be purged, compliance enforcement, and consequences
for noncompliance. Recommendations shall address all forms of
information whether it is kept in electronic, magnetic, paper, or other
form of storage media. All recommendations shall be consistent with
state and federal law governing release of confidential information.
The work group shall report its recommendations to the legislature by
December 1, 2005.