SB 5719-S.E - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS PASSED LEGISLATURE)

Declares that any county or group of cooperating counties may establish a program to implement the community commitment disposition alternative under this act. Any program shall be limited to ten beds. If a county does not have a program but is a member of a group of cooperating counties that has established a program to implement the community commitment disposition alternative under this act, a court in that county may impose a community commitment disposition alternative as provided in this act.

Requires each county or group of cooperating counties establishing a program to implement the community commitment disposition alternative under this act to provide an interim report on a program to the Washington association of juvenile court administrators by November 1, 2006, and a final report by May 1, 2007. Each report shall include, but is not limited to, the number of offenders eligible for the program, the number of offenders sentenced to the program, evaluation and treatment costs for each participant, administrative costs, costs of detention, supervision, and other related costs, and whether an offender has reoffended after participation in the program.

VETO MESSAGE ON SB 5719-S

May 17, 2005

To the Honorable President and Members,

The Senate of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am returning without my approval, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5719 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to the community commitment disposition alternative pilot program."

This bill would have provided juvenile courts with a "community commitment" alternative to committing delinquent youth to the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). The state would have paid all costs, including detention and administration. Current law already provides courts with five alternatives to DSHS commitment, but none of them include state funding of county detention costs. This bill, based on a pilot program that was used in only one case, would have encouraged the use of a new alternative instead of the existing ones, and would have unjustifiably shifted costs to the state. The existing alternatives to DSHS commitment have been effective.

For these reasons, I have vetoed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5719 in its entirety.

Respectfully submitted,

Christine O. Gregoire

Governor