BILL REQ. #:  S-1968.1 



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SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5231
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State of Washington61st Legislature2009 Regular Session

By Senate Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Regala, Kline, Stevens, Hargrove, and Brandland)

READ FIRST TIME 02/23/09.   



     AN ACT Relating to parenting plans and residential schedules in dependency proceedings; amending RCW 13.34.155; and reenacting and amending RCW 13.04.030 and 13.34.062.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 13.04.030 and 2005 c 290 s 1 and 2005 c 238 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in this section, the juvenile courts in this state shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over all proceedings:
     (a) Under the interstate compact on placement of children as provided in chapter 26.34 RCW;
     (b) Relating to children alleged or found to be dependent as provided in chapter 26.44 RCW and in RCW 13.34.030 through ((13.34.170)) 13.34.161;
     (c) Relating to the termination of a parent and child relationship as provided in RCW 13.34.180 through 13.34.210;
     (d) To approve or disapprove out-of-home placement as provided in RCW 13.32A.170;
     (e) Relating to juveniles alleged or found to have committed offenses, traffic or civil infractions, or violations as provided in RCW 13.40.020 through 13.40.230, unless:
     (i) The juvenile court transfers jurisdiction of a particular juvenile to adult criminal court pursuant to RCW 13.40.110;
     (ii) The statute of limitations applicable to adult prosecution for the offense, traffic or civil infraction, or violation has expired;
     (iii) The alleged offense or infraction is a traffic, fish, boating, or game offense, or traffic or civil infraction committed by a juvenile sixteen years of age or older and would, if committed by an adult, be tried or heard in a court of limited jurisdiction, in which instance the appropriate court of limited jurisdiction shall have jurisdiction over the alleged offense or infraction, and no guardian ad litem is required in any such proceeding due to the juvenile's age((: PROVIDED, That)). If such an alleged offense or infraction and an alleged offense or infraction subject to juvenile court jurisdiction arise out of the same event or incident, the juvenile court may have jurisdiction of both matters((: PROVIDED FURTHER, That)). The jurisdiction under this subsection does not constitute "transfer" or a "decline" for purposes of RCW 13.40.110(1) or (e)(i) of this subsection((: PROVIDED FURTHER, That)). Courts of limited jurisdiction which confine juveniles for an alleged offense or infraction may place juveniles in juvenile detention facilities under an agreement with the officials responsible for the administration of the juvenile detention facility in RCW 13.04.035 and 13.20.060;
     (iv) The alleged offense is a traffic or civil infraction, a violation of compulsory school attendance provisions under chapter 28A.225 RCW, or a misdemeanor, and a court of limited jurisdiction has assumed concurrent jurisdiction over those offenses as provided in RCW 13.04.0301; or
     (v) The juvenile is sixteen or seventeen years old on the date the alleged offense is committed and the alleged offense is:
     (A) A serious violent offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030;
     (B) A violent offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030 and the juvenile has a criminal history consisting of: (I) One or more prior serious violent offenses; (II) two or more prior violent offenses; or (III) three or more of any combination of the following offenses: Any class A felony, any class B felony, vehicular assault, or manslaughter in the second degree, all of which must have been committed after the juvenile's thirteenth birthday and prosecuted separately;
     (C) Robbery in the first degree, rape of a child in the first degree, or drive-by shooting, committed on or after July 1, 1997;
     (D) Burglary in the first degree committed on or after July 1, 1997, and the juvenile has a criminal history consisting of one or more prior felony or misdemeanor offenses; or
     (E) Any violent offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030 committed on or after July 1, 1997, and the juvenile is alleged to have been armed with a firearm.
     (I) In such a case the adult criminal court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction, except as provided in (e)(v)(E)(II) of this subsection.
     (II) The juvenile court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the disposition of any remaining charges in any case in which the juvenile is found not guilty in the adult criminal court of the charge or charges for which he or she was transferred, or is convicted in the adult criminal court of a lesser included offense that is not also an offense listed in (e)(v) of this subsection. The juvenile court shall enter an order extending juvenile court jurisdiction if the juvenile has turned eighteen years of age during the adult criminal court proceedings pursuant to RCW 13.40.300. However, once the case is returned to juvenile court, the court may hold a decline hearing pursuant to RCW 13.40.110 to determine whether to retain the case in juvenile court for the purpose of disposition or return the case to adult criminal court for sentencing.
     If the juvenile challenges the state's determination of the juvenile's criminal history under (e)(v) of this subsection, the state may establish the offender's criminal history by a preponderance of the evidence. If the criminal history consists of adjudications entered upon a plea of guilty, the state shall not bear a burden of establishing the knowing and voluntariness of the plea;
     (f) Under the interstate compact on juveniles as provided in chapter 13.24 RCW;
     (g) Relating to termination of a diversion agreement under RCW 13.40.080, including a proceeding in which the divertee has attained eighteen years of age;
     (h) Relating to court validation of a voluntary consent to an out-of-home placement under chapter 13.34 RCW, by the parent or Indian custodian of an Indian child, except if the parent or Indian custodian and child are residents of or domiciled within the boundaries of a federally recognized Indian reservation over which the tribe exercises exclusive jurisdiction;
     (i) Relating to petitions to compel disclosure of information filed by the department of social and health services pursuant to RCW 74.13.042; and
     (j) Relating to judicial determinations and permanency planning hearings involving developmentally disabled children who have been placed in out-of-home care pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement between the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and the department of social and health services.
     (2) The family court shall have concurrent original jurisdiction with the juvenile court over all proceedings under this section if the superior court judges of a county authorize concurrent jurisdiction as provided in RCW 26.12.010.
     (3) The juvenile court shall have concurrent original jurisdiction with the family court over child custody proceedings under chapter 26.10 RCW and parenting plans or residential schedules under chapters 26.09 and 26.26 RCW as provided for in RCW 13.34.155.
     (4) A juvenile subject to adult superior court jurisdiction under subsection (1)(e)(i) through (v) of this section, who is detained pending trial, may be detained in a detention facility as defined in RCW 13.40.020 pending sentencing or a dismissal.

Sec. 2   RCW 13.34.062 and 2007 c 413 s 4 and 2007 c 409 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Whenever a child is taken into custody by child protective services pursuant to a court order issued under RCW 13.34.050 or when child protective services is notified that a child has been taken into custody pursuant to RCW 26.44.050 or 26.44.056, child protective services shall make reasonable efforts to inform the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the fact that the child has been taken into custody, the reasons why the child was taken into custody, and their legal rights under this title, including the right to a shelter care hearing, as soon as possible. Notice must be provided in an understandable manner and take into consideration the parent's, guardian's, or legal custodian's primary language, level of education, and cultural issues.
     (b) In no event shall the notice required by this section be provided to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian more than twenty-four hours after the child has been taken into custody or twenty-four hours after child protective services has been notified that the child has been taken into custody.
     (2)(a) The notice of custody and rights may be given by any means reasonably certain of notifying the parents including, but not limited to, written, telephone, or in person oral notification. If the initial notification is provided by a means other than writing, child protective services shall make reasonable efforts to also provide written notification.
     (b) The written notice of custody and rights required by this section shall be in substantially the following form:


          "NOTICE


     Your child has been placed in temporary custody under the supervision of Child Protective Services (or other person or agency). You have important legal rights and you must take steps to protect your interests.
     1. A court hearing will be held before a judge within 72 hours of the time your child is taken into custody excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. You should call the court at (insert appropriate phone number here) for specific information about the date, time, and location of the court hearing.
     2. You have the right to have a lawyer represent you at the hearing. Your right to representation continues after the shelter care hearing. You have the right to records the department intends to rely upon. A lawyer can look at the files in your case, talk to child protective services and other agencies, tell you about the law, help you understand your rights, and help you at hearings. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court will appoint one to represent you. To get a court-appointed lawyer you must contact: (explain local procedure) .
     3. At the hearing, you have the right to speak on your own behalf, to introduce evidence, to examine witnesses, and to receive a decision based solely on the evidence presented to the judge.
     4. If your hearing occurs before a court commissioner, you have the right to have the decision of the court commissioner reviewed by a superior court judge. To obtain that review, you must, within ten days after the entry of the decision of the court commissioner, file with the court a motion for revision of the decision, as provided in RCW 2.24.050.
     You should be present at any shelter care hearing. If you do not come, the judge will not hear what you have to say.
     You may call the Child Protective Services' caseworker for more information about your child. The caseworker's name and telephone number are: (insert name and telephone number) .
     5. You have a right to a case conference to develop a written service agreement following the shelter care hearing. The service agreement may not conflict with the court's order of shelter care. You may request that a multidisciplinary team, family group conference, or prognostic staffing be convened for your child's case. You may participate in these processes with your counsel present.
     6. If your child is placed in the custody of the department of social and health services or other supervising agency, immediately following the shelter care hearing, the court will enter an order granting the department or other supervising agency the right to inspect and copy all health, medical, mental health, and education records of the child, directing health care providers to release such information without your further consent, and granting the department or supervising agency or its designee the authority and responsibility, where applicable, to:
     (1) Notify the child's school that the child is in out-of-home placement;
     (2) Enroll the child in school;
     (3) Request the school transfer records;
     (4) Request and authorize evaluation of special needs;
     (5) Attend parent or teacher conferences;
     (6) Excuse absences;
     (7) Grant permission for extracurricular activities;
     (8) Authorize medications which need to be administered during school hours and sign for medical needs that arise during school hours; and
     (9) Complete or update school emergency records.
     7. A dependency petition begins a judicial process which, if the court finds the child dependent, could result in substantial restrictions including, the entry or modification of a parenting plan or residential schedule, nonparental custody order/decree, guardianship order, or permanent loss of your parental rights."

     Upon receipt of the written notice, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian shall acknowledge such notice by signing a receipt prepared by child protective services. If the parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not sign the receipt, the reason for lack of a signature shall be written on the receipt. The receipt shall be made a part of the court's file in the dependency action.
     If after making reasonable efforts to provide notification, child protective services is unable to determine the whereabouts of the parents, guardian, or legal custodian, the notice shall be delivered or sent to the last known address of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
     (3) If child protective services is not required to give notice under this section, the juvenile court counselor assigned to the matter shall make all reasonable efforts to advise the parents, guardian, or legal custodian of the time and place of any shelter care hearing, request that they be present, and inform them of their basic rights as provided in RCW 13.34.090.
     (4) Reasonable efforts to advise and to give notice, as required in this section, shall include, at a minimum, investigation of the whereabouts of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian. If such reasonable efforts are not successful, or the parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not appear at the shelter care hearing, the petitioner shall testify at the hearing or state in a declaration:
     (a) The efforts made to investigate the whereabouts of, and to advise, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian; and
     (b) Whether actual advice of rights was made, to whom it was made, and how it was made, including the substance of any oral communication or copies of written materials used.

Sec. 3   RCW 13.34.155 and 2000 c 135 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The court hearing the dependency petition may hear and determine issues related to chapter 26.10 RCW in a dependency proceeding as necessary to facilitate a permanency plan for the child or children as part of the dependency disposition order or a dependency review order or as otherwise necessary to implement a permanency plan of care for a child. The parents, guardians, or legal custodian of the child must agree, subject to court approval, to establish a permanent custody order. This agreed order may have the concurrence of the other parties to the dependency including the supervising agency, the guardian ad litem of the child, and the child if age twelve or older, and must also be in the best interests of the child. If the petitioner for a custody order under chapter 26.10 RCW is not a party to the dependency proceeding, he or she must agree on the record or by the filing of a declaration to the entry of a custody order. Once an order is entered under chapter 26.10 RCW, and the dependency petition dismissed, the department shall not continue to supervise the placement.
     (2) The court hearing the dependency petition may establish or modify a parenting plan under chapters 26.09 and 26.26 RCW. At any point in the dependency proceeding, the juvenile court may enter or modify an existing parenting plan or modify a residential schedule in order to resolve issues of residential placement and/or visitation between the parents of the child, and to implement a permanent plan of care for the child. Unless the whereabouts of one of the parents is unknown to either the department or the court, the parents must agree, subject to court approval, to establish the parenting plan or modify an existing parenting plan. In any parenting plan entered or modified in juvenile court under this section, all issues pertaining to division of marital property or child support shall be referred to or retained by the family law department of the superior court.
     (3) Any court order determining issues under chapter 26.10 RCW is subject to modification upon the same showing and standards as a court order determining Title 26 RCW issues.
     (((3))) (4) Any order entered in the dependency court establishing or modifying a permanent legal custody order or, parenting plan, or residential schedule under chapter 26.09, 26.10, or 26.26 RCW shall also be filed in the chapter 26.09, 26.10, or 26.26 RCW action by the prevailing party. If the moving party has been found indigent and appointed counsel at public expense in the dependency proceeding, no filing fees shall be imposed by the clerk. Once filed, any order, parenting plan, or residential schedule establishing or modifying permanent legal custody shall survive dismissal of the dependency proceeding.

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