READ FIRST TIME 02/21/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to high school equivalency certificates; amending RCW 18.55.040, 28A.150.305, 28A.175.105, 28A.205.040, 28A.305.190, 28B.50.536, 28B.116.010, 28B.117.005, 28B.119.010, 28B.145.010, 28B.145.060, 28C.10.050, 35.21.333, 36.110.140, 41.04.015, 43.215.510, 70.128.120, 72.09.410, 72.09.460, 72.09.670, 74.04.535, 74.08A.250, 74.08A.380, 74.12.035, 74.13.540, and 74.15.230; amending 2011 c 330 s 1 (uncodified); amending 2010 c 20 s 1 (uncodified); and reenacting and amending RCW 28A.205.030, 28C.18.010, and 72.09.015.

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

Sec. 1   2011 c 330 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     The Washington state legislature has consistently provided national leadership on safe housing and support to foster youth transitioning out of foster care. Since 2006, the legislature has addressed the needs of foster youth aging out of care with medicaid to twenty-one (2007), foster care to twenty-one (2006), the independent youth housing program (2007), and Washington's alignment with the federal fostering connections act (2009). As a result of this national leadership to provide safe and basic housing to youth aging out of foster care, the programs have demonstrated the significant cost-benefit to providing safe housing to our youth exiting foster care.
     The United States congress passed the fostering connections to success and increasing adoptions act of 2008 in order to give states another financial tool to continue to provide foster care services to dependent youth who turn eighteen years old while in foster care. However, substantially declining revenues have resulted in markedly decreased funds for states to use to meet the federal requirements necessary to help these youth. Current fiscal realities require that the scope of programs must be narrowed.
     The Washington state legislature intends to serve, within the resources available, the maximum number of foster youth who are legally dependent on the state and who reach the age of eighteen while still in foster care. The legislature intends to provide these youth continued foster care services to support basic and healthy transition into adulthood. The legislature recognizes the extremely poor outcomes of unsupported foster youth aging out of the foster care system and is committed to ensuring that those foster youth who engage in positive, age-appropriate activities receive support. It is the intent of the legislature to fully engage in the fostering connections act by providing support, including extended court supervision to foster youth pursuing a high school diploma or ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 to age twenty-one with the goal of increasing support to all children up to age twenty-one who are eligible under the federal fostering connections to success act as resources become available.

Sec. 2   RCW 18.55.040 and 1996 c 191 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:
     No applicant shall be licensed under this chapter until the applicant complies with administrative procedures, administrative requirements, and fees determined by the secretary according to RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280. Qualifications must require that the applicant:
     (1) Is eighteen years or more of age;
     (2) Has graduated from high school or has received a ((general equivalency degree)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;
     (3) Is of good moral character; and
     (4)(a) Had at least ten thousand hours of apprenticeship training under the direct supervision of a licensed ocularist; or
     (b) Successfully completed a prescribed course in ocularist training programs approved by the secretary; or
     (c) Has had at least ten thousand hours of apprenticeship training under the direct supervision of a practicing ocularist, or has the equivalent experience as a practicing ocularist, or any combination of training and supervision, not in the state of Washington; and
     (5) Successfully passes an examination conducted or approved by the secretary.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.150.305 and 2002 c 291 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The board of directors of school districts may contract with alternative educational service providers for eligible students. Alternative educational service providers that the school district may contract with include, but are not limited to:
     (a) Other schools;
     (b) Alternative education programs not operated by the school district;
     (c) Education centers;
     (d) Skills centers;
     (e) The Washington national guard youth challenge program;
     (f) Dropout prevention programs; or
     (g) Other public or private organizations, excluding sectarian or religious organizations.
     (2) Eligible students include students who are likely to be expelled or who are enrolled in the school district but have been suspended, are academically at risk, or who have been subject to repeated disciplinary actions due to behavioral problems.
     (3) If a school district board of directors chooses to initiate specialized programs for students at risk of expulsion or who are failing academically by contracting out with alternative educational service providers identified in subsection (1) of this section, the school district board of directors and the organization must specify the specific learning standards that students are expected to achieve. Placement of the student shall be jointly determined by the school district, the student's parent or legal guardian, and the alternative educational service provider.
     (4) For the purpose of this section, the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules for reporting and documenting enrollment. Students may reenter at the grade level appropriate to the student's ability. Students who are sixteen years of age or older may take ((the GED)) a test to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 28A.305.190.
     (5) The board of directors of school districts may require that students who would otherwise be suspended or expelled attend schools or programs listed in subsection (1) of this section as a condition of continued enrollment in the school district.

Sec. 4   2010 c 20 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) In every school district there are older youth who have become disengaged with the traditional education program of public high schools. They may have failed multiple classes and are far behind in accumulating credits to graduate. They do not see a high school diploma as an achievable goal. They may have dropped out of school entirely. They are not likely to become reengaged in their education by the prospect of reenrollment in a traditional or even an alternative high school.
     (2) For many years, school districts, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations have created partnerships to provide appropriate educational programs for these students. Programs such as career education options and career link have successfully offered individualized academic instruction, case management support, and career-oriented skills in an age-appropriate learning environment to hundreds of disengaged older youth. Preparation for ((the GED)) a test to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 28A.305.190 is provided but is not the end goal for students.
     (3) However, in recent years, many of these partnerships have ceased to operate. The laws and rules authorizing school districts to contract using basic education allocations do not provide sufficient guidance and instead present barriers. Program providers are forced to adapt to rules that were not written to address the needs of the students being served. Questions and concerns about liability, responsibility, and administrative burden have caused districts reluctantly to abandon their partnerships, and consequently leave hundreds of students without a viable alternative for continuing their public education.
     (4) Therefore the legislature intends to provide a statutory framework to support a statewide dropout reengagement system for older youth. The framework clarifies and standardizes funding, programs, and administration by directing the office of the superintendent of public instruction to develop model contracts and interlocal agreements. It is the legislature's intent to encourage school districts, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations to participate in this system and provide appropriate instruction and services to reengage older students and help them make progress toward a meaningful credential and career skills.

Sec. 5   RCW 28A.175.105 and 2010 c 20 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28A.175.100 through 28A.175.110 unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
     (1) "Dropout reengagement program" means an educational program that offers at least the following instruction and services:
     (a) Academic instruction, including but not limited to ((GED)) preparation to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 28A.305.190, academic skills instruction, and college and work readiness preparation, that generates credits that can be applied to a high school diploma from the student's school district or from a community or technical college under RCW 28B.50.535 and has the goal of enabling the student to obtain the academic and work readiness skills necessary for employment or postsecondary study. A dropout reengagement program is not required to offer instruction in only those subject areas where a student is deficient in accumulated credits. Academic instruction must be provided by teachers certified by the Washington professional educator standards board or by instructors employed by a community or technical college whose required credentials are established by the college;
     (b) Case management, academic and career counseling, and assistance with accessing services and resources that support at-risk youth and reduce barriers to educational success; and
     (c) If the program provider is a community or technical college, the opportunity for qualified students to enroll in college courses that lead to a postsecondary degree or certificate. The college may not charge an eligible student tuition for such enrollment.
     (2) "Eligible student" means a student who:
     (a) Is at least sixteen but less than twenty-one years of age at the beginning of the school year;
     (b) Is not accumulating sufficient credits toward a high school diploma to reasonably complete a high school diploma from a public school before the age of twenty-one or is recommended for the program by case managers from the department of social and health services or the juvenile justice system; and
     (c) Is enrolled or enrolls in the school district in which the student resides, or is enrolled or enrolls in a nonresident school district under RCW 28A.225.220 through 28A.225.230.
     (3) "Full-time equivalent eligible student" means an eligible student whose enrollment and attendance meet criteria adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction specifically for dropout reengagement programs. The criteria shall be:
     (a) Based on the community or technical college credits generated by the student if the program provider is a community or technical college; and
     (b) Based on a minimum amount of planned programming or instruction and minimum attendance by the student rather than hours of seat time if the program provider is a community-based organization.

Sec. 6   RCW 28A.205.030 and 1993 c 218 s 2 and 1993 c 211 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt, by rules, policies and procedures to permit a prior common school dropout to reenter at the grade level appropriate to such individual's ability: PROVIDED, That such individual shall be placed with the class he or she would be in had he or she not dropped out and graduate with that class, if the student's ability so permits notwithstanding any loss of credits prior to reentry and if such student earns credits at the normal rate subsequent to reentry.
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any certified education center student sixteen years of age or older, upon completion of an individual student program, ((shall be)) is eligible to take ((the general educational development)) a test to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 28A.305.190 as given throughout the state.

Sec. 7   RCW 28A.205.040 and 2006 c 263 s 412 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) From funds appropriated for that purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall pay fees to a certified center on a monthly basis for each student enrolled in compliance with RCW 28A.205.020. The superintendent shall set fees by rule.
     (b) Revisions in such fees proposed by an education center shall become effective after thirty days notice unless the superintendent finds such a revision is unreasonable in which case the revision shall not take effect. The administration of any ((general education development)) test to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 28A.305.190 shall not be a part of such initial diagnostic procedure.
     (c) Reimbursements shall not be made for students who are absent.
     (d) No center shall make any charge to any student, or the student's parent, guardian or custodian, for whom a fee is being received under the provisions of this section.
     (2) Payments shall be made from available funds first to those centers that have in the judgment of the superintendent demonstrated superior performance based upon consideration of students' educational gains taking into account such students' backgrounds, and upon consideration of cost effectiveness. In considering the cost effectiveness of nonprofit centers the superintendent shall take into account not only payments made under this section but also factors such as tax exemptions, direct and indirect subsidies or any other cost to taxpayers at any level of government which result from such nonprofit status.
     (3) To be eligible for such payment, every such center, without prior notice, shall permit a review of its accounting records by personnel of the state auditor during normal business hours.
     (4) If total funds for this purpose approach depletion, the superintendent shall notify the centers of the date after which further funds for reimbursement of the centers' services will be exhausted.

Sec. 8   RCW 28A.305.190 and 2010 c 20 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     The state board of education shall adopt rules governing the eligibility of a child sixteen years of age and under nineteen years of age to take ((the GED)) a test to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 if the child provides a substantial and warranted reason for leaving the regular high school education program, if the child was home-schooled, or if the child is an eligible student enrolled in a dropout reengagement program under RCW 28A.175.100 through 28A.175.110.

Sec. 9   RCW 28B.50.536 and 1993 c 218 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to rules adopted by the state board of education under RCW 28A.305.190, the state board for community and technical colleges shall adopt rules governing the eligibility of persons sixteen years of age and older to take ((the general educational development)) a test to earn a high school equivalency certificate, rules governing the administration of the test, and rules governing the issuance of a high school equivalency certificate ((of educational competence)) to persons who successfully complete the test.
     (2) A high school equivalency certificate is a certificate issued jointly by the college board and the office of the superintendent of public instruction that indicates that the holder has attained standard scores at or above the minimum proficiency level prescribed by the college board on a high school equivalency test. The college board must identify and accept a high school equivalency test that is at least as rigorous as the general educational development test. The high school equivalency test identified by the college board must cover reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies subject areas.
     (3) High school equivalency certificates ((of educational competence)) issued under this section shall be issued in such form and substance as agreed upon by the state board for community and technical colleges and superintendent of public instruction.

Sec. 10   RCW 28B.116.010 and 2012 c 229 s 568 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Cost of attendance" means the cost associated with the attendance of the institution of higher education as determined by the office of student financial assistance, including but not limited to tuition, room, board, and books.
     (2) "Eligible student" means a student who:
     (a) Is between the ages of sixteen and twenty-three;
     (b) Has been in foster care in the state of Washington for a minimum of six months since his or her fourteenth birthday;
     (c) Is a financially needy student, as defined in RCW 28B.92.030;
     (d) Is a resident student, as defined in RCW 28B.15.012(2);
     (e) Has entered or will enter an institution of higher education in Washington state within three years of high school graduation or having successfully completed his or her ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;
     (f) Is not pursuing a degree in theology; and
     (g) Makes satisfactory progress towards the completion of a degree or certificate program.
     (3) "Institution of higher education" means a college or university in the state of Washington that is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the student achievement council.
     (4) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.

Sec. 11   RCW 28B.117.005 and 2007 c 314 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) The legislature finds that in Washington, there are more than seven thousand three hundred children in foster family or group care. These children face unique obstacles and burdens as they transition to adulthood, including lacking continuity in their elementary and high school educations. As compared to the general population of students, twice as many foster care youth change schools at least once during their elementary and secondary school careers, and three times as many change schools at least three times. Only thirty-four percent of foster care youth graduate from high school within four years, compared to seventy percent for the general population. Of the former foster care youth who earn a high school diploma, more than twenty-eight percent earn a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 instead of a traditional high school diploma. This is almost six times the rate of the general population. Research indicates that ((GED)) holders of high school equivalency certificates tend not to be as economically successful as the holders of traditional high school diplomas. Only twenty percent of former foster care youth who earn a high school degree enroll in college, compared to over sixty percent of the population generally. Of the former foster care youth who do enroll in college, very few go on to earn a degree. Less than two percent of former foster care youth hold bachelor's degrees, compared to twenty-eight percent of Washington's population generally.
     (b) Former foster care youth face two critical hurdles to enrolling in college. The first is a lack of information regarding preparation for higher education and their options for enrolling in higher education. The second is finding the financial resources to fund their education. As a result of the unique hurdles and challenges that face former foster care youth, a disproportionate number of them are part of society's large group of marginalized youth and are at increased risk of continuing the cycle of poverty and violence that frequently plagues their families.
     (c) Former foster care youth suffer from mental health problems at a rate greater than that of the general population. For example, one in four former foster care youth report having suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder within the previous twelve months, compared to only four percent of the general population. Similarly, the incidence of major depression among former foster care youth is twice that of the general population, twenty percent versus ten percent.
     (d) There are other barriers for former foster care youth to achieving successful adulthood. One-third of former foster care youth live in households that are at or below the poverty level. This is three times the rate for the general population. The percentage of former foster care youth who report being homeless within one year of leaving foster care varies from over ten percent to almost twenty-five percent. By comparison, only one percent of the general population reports having been homeless at sometime during the past year. One in three former foster care youth lack health insurance, compared to less than one in five people in the general population. One in six former foster care youth receive cash public assistance. This is five times the rate of the general population.
     (e) Approximately twenty-five percent of former foster care youth are incarcerated at sometime after leaving foster care. This is four times the rate of incarceration for the general population. Of the former foster care youth who "age out" of foster care, twenty-seven percent of the males and ten percent of the females are incarcerated within twelve to eighteen months of leaving foster care.
     (f) Female former foster care youth become sexually active more than seven months earlier than their nonfoster care counterparts, have more sexual partners, and have a mean age of first pregnancy of almost two years earlier than their peers who were not in foster care.
     (2) The legislature intends to create the passport to college promise pilot program. The pilot program will initially operate for a six-year period, and will have two primary components, as follows:
     (a) Significantly increasing outreach to foster care youth between the ages of fourteen and eighteen regarding the higher education opportunities available to them, how to apply to college, and how to apply for and obtain financial aid; and
     (b) Providing financial aid to former foster care youth to assist with the costs of their public undergraduate college education.

Sec. 12   RCW 28B.119.010 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 231 are each amended to read as follows:
     The office of student financial assistance shall design the Washington promise scholarship program based on the following parameters:
     (1) Scholarships shall be awarded to students graduating from public and approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW, students participating in home-based instruction as provided in chapter 28A.200 RCW, and persons twenty-one years of age or younger receiving a ((GED certificate)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, who meet both an academic and a financial eligibility criteria.
     (a) Academic eligibility criteria shall be defined as follows:
     (i) Beginning with the graduating class of 2002, students graduating from public and approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW must be in the top fifteen percent of their graduating class, as identified by each respective high school at the completion of the first term of the student's senior year; or
     (ii) Students graduating from public high schools, approved private high schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW, students participating in home-based instruction as provided in chapter 28A.200 RCW, and persons twenty-one years of age or younger receiving a ((GED certificate)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, must equal or exceed a cumulative scholastic assessment test I score of twelve hundred on their first attempt or must equal or exceed a composite American college test score of twenty-seven on their first attempt.
     (b) To meet the financial eligibility criteria, a student's family income shall not exceed one hundred thirty-five percent of the state median family income adjusted for family size, as determined by the office of student financial assistance for each graduating class. Students not meeting the eligibility requirements for the first year of scholarship benefits may reapply for the second year of benefits, but must still meet the income standard set by the office for the student's graduating class.
     (2) Promise scholarships are not intended to supplant any grant, scholarship, or tax program related to postsecondary education. If the office of student financial assistance finds that promise scholarships supplant or reduce any grant, scholarship, or tax program for categories of students, then the office shall adjust the financial eligibility criteria or the amount of scholarship to the level necessary to avoid supplanting.
     (3) Within available funds, each qualifying student shall receive two consecutive annual awards, the value of each not to exceed the full-time annual resident tuition rates charged by Washington's community colleges. The office of student financial assistance shall award scholarships to as many students as possible from among those qualifying under this section.
     (4) By October 15th of each year, the office of student financial assistance shall determine the award amount of the scholarships, after taking into consideration the availability of funds.
     (5) The scholarships may only be used for undergraduate coursework at accredited institutions of higher education in the state of Washington.
     (6) The scholarships may be used for undergraduate coursework at Oregon institutions of higher education that are part of the border county higher education opportunity project in RCW 28B.76.685 when those institutions offer programs not available at accredited institutions of higher education in Washington state.
     (7) The scholarships may be used for college-related expenses, including but not limited to, tuition, room and board, books, and materials.
     (8) The scholarships may not be awarded to any student who is pursuing a degree in theology.
     (9) The office of student financial assistance may establish satisfactory progress standards for the continued receipt of the promise scholarship.
     (10) The office of student financial assistance shall establish the time frame within which the student must use the scholarship.

Sec. 13   RCW 28B.145.010 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 13 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board or its successor.
     (2) "Eligible education programs" means high employer demand and other programs of study as determined by the opportunity scholarship board.
     (3) "Eligible expenses" means reasonable expenses associated with the costs of acquiring an education such as tuition, books, equipment, fees, room and board, and other expenses as determined by the program administrator in consultation with the board and the state board for community and technical colleges.
     (4) "Eligible student" means a resident student who received ((their)) his or her high school diploma or ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in Washington and who:
     (a)(i) Has been accepted at a four-year institution of higher education into an eligible education program leading to a baccalaureate degree; or
     (ii) Will attend a two-year institution of higher education and intends to transfer to an eligible education program at a four-year institution of higher education;
     (b) Declares an intention to obtain a baccalaureate degree; and
     (c) Has a family income at or below one hundred twenty-five percent of the state median family income at the time the student applies for an opportunity scholarship.
     (5) "High employer demand program of study" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 28B.50.030.
     (6) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a scholarship under the opportunity scholarship program.
     (7) "Program administrator" means a college scholarship organization that is a private nonprofit corporation registered under Title 24 RCW and qualified as a tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code, with expertise in managing scholarships and college advising.
     (8) "Resident student" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 28B.15.012.

Sec. 14   RCW 28B.145.060 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 13 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The opportunity expansion program is established.
     (2) The opportunity scholarship board shall select institutions of higher education to receive opportunity expansion awards. In so doing, the opportunity scholarship board must:
     (a) Solicit, receive, and evaluate proposals from institutions of higher education that are designed to directly increase the number of baccalaureate degrees produced in high employer demand and other programs of study, and that include annual numerical targets for the number of such degrees, with a strong emphasis on serving students who received their high school diploma or ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in Washington or are adult Washington residents who are returning to school to gain a baccalaureate degree;
     (b) Develop criteria for evaluating proposals and awarding funds to the proposals deemed most likely to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees and degrees produced in high employer demand and other programs of study;
     (c) Give priority to proposals that include a partnership between public and private partnership entities that leverage additional private funds;
     (d) Give priority to proposals that are innovative, efficient, and cost-effective, given the nature and cost of the particular program of study;
     (e) Consult and operate in consultation with existing higher education stakeholders, including but not limited to: Faculty, labor, student organizations, and relevant higher education agencies; and
     (f) Determine which proposals to improve and accelerate the production of baccalaureate degrees in high employer demand and other programs of study will receive opportunity expansion awards for the following state fiscal year, notify the state treasurer, and announce the awards.
     (3) The state treasurer, at the direction of the opportunity scholarship board, must distribute the funds that have been awarded to the institutions of higher education from the opportunity expansion account.
     (4) Institutions of higher education receiving awards under this section may not supplant existing general fund state revenues with opportunity expansion awards.
     (5) Annually, the office of financial management shall report to the opportunity scholarship board, the governor, and the relevant committees of the legislature regarding the percentage of Washington households with incomes in the middle-income bracket or higher. For purposes of this section, "middle-income bracket" means household incomes between two hundred and five hundred percent of the 2010 federal poverty level, as determined by the United States department of health and human services for a family of four, adjusted annually for inflation.
     (6) Annually, the ((higher education coordinating board)) student achievement council must report to the opportunity scholarship board, the governor, and the relevant committees of the legislature regarding the increase in the number of degrees in high employer demand and other programs of study awarded by institutions of higher education over the average of the preceding ten academic years.
     (7) In its comprehensive plan, the workforce training and education coordinating board shall include specific strategies to reach the goal of increasing the percentage of Washington households living in the middle-income bracket or higher, as calculated by the office of financial management and developed by the agency or education institution that will lead the strategy.

Sec. 15   RCW 28C.10.050 and 2007 c 462 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The agency shall adopt by rule minimum standards for entities operating private vocational schools. The minimum standards shall include, but not be limited to, requirements to assess whether a private vocational school is eligible to obtain and maintain a license in this state.
     (2) The requirements adopted by the agency shall, at a minimum, require a private vocational school to:
     (a) Disclose to the agency information about its ownership and financial position and to demonstrate to the agency that the school is financially viable and responsible and that it has sufficient financial resources to fulfill its commitments to students. Financial disclosures provided to the agency shall not be subject to public disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW;
     (b) Follow a uniform statewide cancellation and refund policy as specified by the agency;
     (c) Disclose through use of a school catalog, brochure, or other written material, necessary information to students so that students may make informed enrollment decisions. The agency shall specify what information is required;
     (d) Use an enrollment contract or agreement that includes: (i) The school's cancellation and refund policy, (ii) a brief statement that the school is licensed under this chapter and that inquiries may be made to the agency, and (iii) other necessary information as determined by the agency;
     (e) Describe accurately and completely in writing to students before their enrollment prerequisites and requirements for (i) completing successfully the programs of study in which they are interested and (ii) qualifying for the fields of employment for which their education is designed;
     (f) Comply with the requirements of RCW 28C.10.084;
     (g) Assess the basic skills and relevant aptitudes of each potential student to determine that a potential student has the basic skills and relevant aptitudes necessary to complete and benefit from the program in which the student plans to enroll, including but not limited to administering a United States department of education-approved English as a second language exam before enrolling students for whom English is a second language unless the students provide proof of graduation from a United States high school or proof of completion of a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in English or results of another academic assessment determined appropriate by the agency. Guidelines for such assessments shall be developed by the agency, in consultation with the schools;
     (h) Discuss with each potential student the potential student's obligations in signing any enrollment contract and/or incurring any debt for educational purposes. The discussion shall include the inadvisability of acquiring an excessive educational debt burden that will be difficult to repay given employment opportunities and average starting salaries in the potential student's chosen occupation;
     (i) Ensure that any enrollment contract between the private vocational school and its students has an attachment in a format provided by the agency. The attachment shall be signed by both the school and the student. The attachment shall stipulate that the school has complied with (h) of this subsection and that the student understands and accepts his or her responsibilities in signing any enrollment contract or debt application. The attachment shall also stipulate that the enrollment contract shall not be binding for at least five days, excluding Sundays and holidays, following signature of the enrollment contract by both parties; and
     (j) Comply with the requirements related to qualifications of administrators and instructors.
     (3) The agency may deny a private vocational school's application for licensure if the school fails to meet the requirements in this section.
     (4) The agency may determine that a licensed private vocational school or a particular program of a private vocational school is at risk of closure or termination if:
     (a) There is a pattern or history of substantiated student complaints filed with the agency pursuant to RCW 28C.10.120; or
     (b) The private vocational school fails to meet minimum licensing requirements and has a pattern or history of failing to meet the minimum requirements.
     (5) If the agency determines that a private vocational school or a particular program is at risk of closure or termination, the agency shall require the school to take corrective action.

Sec. 16   RCW 28C.18.010 and 2009 c 151 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this title.
     (1) "Adult basic education" means instruction designed to achieve mastery of skills in reading, writing, oral communication, and computation at a level sufficient to allow the individual to function effectively as a parent, worker, and citizen in the United States, commensurate with that individual's actual ability level, and includes English as a second language and preparation and testing services for ((the general education development exam)) a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536.
     (2) "Board" means the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (3) "Director" means the director of the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (4) "Industry skill panel" means a regional partnership of business, labor, and education leaders that identifies skill gaps in a key economic cluster and enables the industry and public partners to respond to and be proactive in addressing workforce skill needs.
     (5) "Training system" means programs and courses of secondary vocational education, technical college programs and courses, community college vocational programs and courses, private career school and college programs and courses, employer-sponsored training, adult basic education programs and courses, programs and courses funded by the federal workforce investment act, programs and courses funded by the federal vocational act, programs and courses funded under the federal adult education act, publicly funded programs and courses for adult literacy education, and apprenticeships, and programs and courses offered by private and public nonprofit organizations that are representative of communities or significant segments of communities and provide job training or adult literacy services.
     (6) "Vocational education" means organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation or retraining of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree. Such programs shall include competency-based applied learning which contributes to an individual's academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, and the occupational-specific skills necessary for economic independence as a productive and contributing member of society. Such term also includes applied technology education.
     (7) "Workforce development council" means a local workforce investment board as established in P.L. 105-220 Sec. 117.
     (8) "Workforce skills" means skills developed through applied learning that strengthen and reinforce an individual's academic knowledge, critical thinking, problem solving, and work ethic and, thereby, develop the employability, occupational skills, and management of home and work responsibilities necessary for economic independence.

Sec. 17   RCW 35.21.333 and 1987 c 339 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A person seeking appointment to the office of chief of police or marshal, of a city or town, including a code city, with a population in excess of one thousand, is ineligible unless that person:
     (a) Is a citizen of the United States of America;
     (b) Has obtained a high school diploma or ((general equivalency diploma)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;
     (c) Has not been convicted under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States of a felony;
     (d) Has not been convicted of a gross misdemeanor or any crime involving moral turpitude within five years of the date of application;
     (e) Has received at least a general discharge under honorable conditions from any branch of the armed services for any military service if the person was in the military service;
     (f) Has completed at least two years of regular, uninterrupted, full-time commissioned law enforcement employment involving enforcement responsibilities with a government law enforcement agency; and
     (g) The person has been certified as a regular and commissioned enforcement officer through compliance with this state's basic training requirement or equivalency.
     (2) A person seeking appointment to the office of chief of police or marshal, of a city or town, including a code city, with a population of one thousand or less, is ineligible unless that person conforms with the requirements of subsection (1) (a) through (e) of this section. A person so appointed as chief of police or marshal must successfully complete the state's basic training requirement or equivalency within nine months after such appointment, unless an extension has been granted by the criminal justice training commission.
     (3) A person seeking appointment to the office of chief of police or marshal shall provide a sworn statement under penalty of perjury to the appointing authority stating that the person meets the requirements of this section.

Sec. 18   RCW 36.110.140 and 1993 c 285 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:
     To the extent possible, jail industries programs shall be augmented by education and training to improve worker literacy and employability skills. Such education and training may include, but is not limited to, basic adult education, work towards ((a certificate of educational competence following successful completion of the general educational development test)) earning a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, vocational and preemployment work maturity skills training, and apprenticeship classes.

Sec. 19   RCW 41.04.015 and 1971 c 43 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     A Washington ((certificate of educational competence)) high school equivalency certificate as awarded by the Washington state superintendent of public instruction or ((an official report of equivalent acceptable scores of the general educational development test)) a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 shall be accepted in lieu of a high school diploma by the state and any local political subdivision when considering applicants for employment or promotion.

Sec. 20   RCW 43.215.510 and 2006 c 265 s 206 are each amended to read as follows:
     Child care centers adopting the child care career and wage ladder established pursuant to RCW 43.215.505 shall increase wages for child care workers who have earned a high school diploma or ((GED certificate)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, gain additional years of experience, or accept increasing levels of responsibility in providing child care, in accordance with the child care career and wage ladder. The adoption of a child care career and wage ladder shall not prohibit the provision of wage increases based upon merit. The department shall pay wage increments for child care workers employed by child care centers adopting the child care career and wage ladder established pursuant to RCW 43.215.505 who earn early childhood education credits or meet relevant requirements in the state training and registry system, in accordance with the child care career and wage ladder.

Sec. 21   RCW 70.128.120 and 2012 c 164 s 703 are each amended to read as follows:
     Each adult family home provider, applicant, and each resident manager shall have the following minimum qualifications, except that only applicants are required to meet the provisions of subsections (10) and (11) of this section:
     (1) Twenty-one years of age or older;
     (2) For those applying after September 1, 2001, to be licensed as providers, and for resident managers whose employment begins after September 1, 2001, a United States high school diploma or ((general educational development (GED) certificate)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 or any English or translated government documentation of the following:
     (a) Successful completion of government-approved public or private school education in a foreign country that includes an annual average of one thousand hours of instruction over twelve years or no less than twelve thousand hours of instruction;
     (b) A foreign college, foreign university, or United States community college two-year diploma;
     (c) Admission to, or completion of coursework at, a foreign university or college for which credit was granted;
     (d) Admission to, or completion of coursework at, a United States college or university for which credits were awarded;
     (e) Admission to, or completion of postgraduate coursework at, a United States college or university for which credits were awarded; or
     (f) Successful passage of the United States board examination for registered nursing, or any professional medical occupation for which college or university education preparation was required;
     (3) Good moral and responsible character and reputation;
     (4) Literacy and the ability to communicate in the English language;
     (5) Management and administrative ability to carry out the requirements of this chapter;
     (6) Satisfactory completion of department-approved basic training and continuing education training as required by RCW 74.39A.074, and in rules adopted by the department;
     (7) Satisfactory completion of department-approved, or equivalent, special care training before a provider may provide special care services to a resident;
     (8) Not been convicted of any crime that is disqualifying under RCW 43.43.830 or 43.43.842, or department rules adopted under this chapter, or been found to have abused, neglected, exploited, or abandoned a minor or vulnerable adult as specified in RCW 74.39A.056(2);
     (9) For those applying to be licensed as providers, and for resident managers whose employment begins after August 24, 2011, at least one thousand hours in the previous sixty months of successful, direct caregiving experience obtained after age eighteen to vulnerable adults in a licensed or contracted setting prior to operating or managing an adult family home. The applicant or resident manager must have credible evidence of the successful, direct caregiving experience or, currently hold one of the following professional licenses: Physician licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW; osteopathic physician licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW; osteopathic physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.57A RCW; physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW; registered nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or licensed practical nurse licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW;
     (10) For applicants, proof of financial solvency, as defined in rule; and
     (11) Applicants must successfully complete an adult family home administration and business planning class, prior to being granted a license. The class must be a minimum of forty-eight hours of classroom time and approved by the department. The department shall promote and prioritize bilingual capabilities within available resources and when materials are available for this purpose.

Sec. 22   RCW 72.09.015 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 s 38 and 2011 c 282 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Adult basic education" means education or instruction designed to achieve general competence of skills in reading, writing, and oral communication, including English as a second language and preparation and testing services for obtaining a high school diploma or a ((general equivalency diploma)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536.
     (2) "Base level of correctional services" means the minimum level of field services the department of corrections is required by statute to provide for the supervision and monitoring of offenders.
     (3) "Civil judgment for assault" means a civil judgment for monetary damages awarded to a correctional officer or department employee entered by a court of competent jurisdiction against an inmate that is based on, or arises from, injury to the correctional officer or department employee caused by the inmate while the correctional officer or department employee was acting in the course and scope of his or her employment.
     (4) "Community custody" has the same meaning as that provided in RCW 9.94A.030 and also includes community placement and community supervision as defined in RCW 9.94B.020.
     (5) "Contraband" means any object or communication the secretary determines shall not be allowed to be: (a) Brought into; (b) possessed while on the grounds of; or (c) sent from any institution under the control of the secretary.
     (6) "Correctional facility" means a facility or institution operated directly or by contract by the secretary for the purposes of incarcerating adults in total or partial confinement, as defined in RCW 9.94A.030.
     (7) "County" means a county or combination of counties.
     (8) "Department" means the department of corrections.
     (9) "Earned early release" means earned release as authorized by RCW 9.94A.729.
     (10) "Evidence-based" means a program or practice that has had multiple-site random controlled trials across heterogeneous populations demonstrating that the program or practice is effective in reducing recidivism for the population.
     (11) "Extended family visit" means an authorized visit between an inmate and a member of his or her immediate family that occurs in a private visiting unit located at the correctional facility where the inmate is confined.
     (12) "Good conduct" means compliance with department rules and policies.
     (13) "Good performance" means successful completion of a program required by the department, including an education, work, or other program.
     (14) "Immediate family" means the inmate's children, stepchildren, grandchildren, great grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, great grandparents, siblings, and a person legally married to or in a state registered domestic partnership with an inmate. "Immediate family" does not include an inmate adopted by another inmate or the immediate family of the adopted or adopting inmate.
     (15) "Indigent inmate," "indigent," and "indigency" mean an inmate who has less than a ten-dollar balance of disposable income in his or her institutional account on the day a request is made to utilize funds and during the thirty days previous to the request.
     (16) "Individual reentry plan" means the plan to prepare an offender for release into the community. It should be developed collaboratively between the department and the offender and based on an assessment of the offender using a standardized and comprehensive tool to identify the offender's risks and needs. The individual reentry plan describes actions that should occur to prepare individual offenders for release from prison or jail, specifies the supervision and services they will experience in the community, and describes an offender's eventual discharge to aftercare upon successful completion of supervision. An individual reentry plan is updated throughout the period of an offender's incarceration and supervision to be relevant to the offender's current needs and risks.
     (17) "Inmate" means a person committed to the custody of the department, including but not limited to persons residing in a correctional institution or facility and persons released from such facility on furlough, work release, or community custody, and persons received from another state, state agency, county, or federal jurisdiction.
     (18) "Labor" means the period of time before a birth during which contractions are of sufficient frequency, intensity, and duration to bring about effacement and progressive dilation of the cervix.
     (19) "Physical restraint" means the use of any bodily force or physical intervention to control an offender or limit an offender's freedom of movement in a way that does not involve a mechanical restraint. Physical restraint does not include momentary periods of minimal physical restriction by direct person-to-person contact, without the aid of mechanical restraint, accomplished with limited force and designed to:
     (a) Prevent an offender from completing an act that would result in potential bodily harm to self or others or damage property;
     (b) Remove a disruptive offender who is unwilling to leave the area voluntarily; or
     (c) Guide an offender from one location to another.
     (20) "Postpartum recovery" means (a) the entire period a woman or youth is in the hospital, birthing center, or clinic after giving birth and (b) an additional time period, if any, a treating physician determines is necessary for healing after the woman or youth leaves the hospital, birthing center, or clinic.
     (21) "Privilege" means any goods or services, education or work programs, or earned early release days, the receipt of which are directly linked to an inmate's (a) good conduct; and (b) good performance. Privileges do not include any goods or services the department is required to provide under the state or federal Constitution or under state or federal law.
     (22) "Promising practice" means a practice that presents, based on preliminary information, potential for becoming a research-based or consensus-based practice.
     (23) "Research-based" means a program or practice that has some research demonstrating effectiveness, but that does not yet meet the standard of evidence-based practices.
     (24) "Restraints" means anything used to control the movement of a person's body or limbs and includes:
     (a) Physical restraint; or
     (b) Mechanical device including but not limited to: Metal handcuffs, plastic ties, ankle restraints, leather cuffs, other hospital-type restraints, tasers, or batons.
     (25) "Secretary" means the secretary of corrections or his or her designee.
     (26) "Significant expansion" includes any expansion into a new product line or service to the class I business that results from an increase in benefits provided by the department, including a decrease in labor costs, rent, or utility rates (for water, sewer, electricity, and disposal), an increase in work program space, tax advantages, or other overhead costs.
     (27) "Superintendent" means the superintendent of a correctional facility under the jurisdiction of the Washington state department of corrections, or his or her designee.
     (28) "Transportation" means the conveying, by any means, of an incarcerated pregnant woman or youth from the correctional facility to another location from the moment she leaves the correctional facility to the time of arrival at the other location, and includes the escorting of the pregnant incarcerated woman or youth from the correctional facility to a transport vehicle and from the vehicle to the other location.
     (29) "Unfair competition" means any net competitive advantage that a business may acquire as a result of a correctional industries contract, including labor costs, rent, tax advantages, utility rates (water, sewer, electricity, and disposal), and other overhead costs. To determine net competitive advantage, the department of corrections shall review and quantify any expenses unique to operating a for-profit business inside a prison.
     (30) "Vocational training" or "vocational education" means "vocational education" as defined in RCW 72.62.020.
     (31) "Washington business" means an in-state manufacturer or service provider subject to chapter 82.04 RCW existing on June 10, 2004.
     (32) "Work programs" means all classes of correctional industries jobs authorized under RCW 72.09.100.

Sec. 23   RCW 72.09.410 and 1993 c 338 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department of corrections shall establish one work ethic camp. The secretary shall locate the work ethic camp within an already existing department compound or facility, or in a facility that is scheduled to come on line within the initial implementation date outlined in this section. The facility selected for the camp shall appropriately accommodate the logistical and cost-effective objectives contained in RCW 72.09.400 through 72.09.420, 9.94A.690, and section 5, chapter 338, Laws of 1993. The department shall be ready to assign inmates to the camp one hundred twenty days after July 1, 1993. The department shall establish the work ethic camp program cycle to last from one hundred twenty to one hundred eighty days. The department shall develop all aspects of the work ethic camp program including, but not limited to, program standards, conduct standards, educational components including ((general education development test achievement)) preparation for a high school equivalency certificate as described in RCW 28B.50.536, offender incentives, drug rehabilitation program parameters, individual and team work goals, techniques for improving the offender's self-esteem, citizenship skills for successful living in the community, measures to hold the offender accountable for his or her behavior, and the successful completion of the work ethic camp program granted to the offender based on successful attendance, participation, and performance as defined by the secretary. The work ethic camp shall be designed and implemented so that offenders are continually engaged in meaningful activities and unstructured time is kept to a minimum. In addition, the department is encouraged to explore the integration and overlay of a military style approach to the work ethic camp.

Sec. 24   RCW 72.09.460 and 2007 c 483 s 402 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature intends that all inmates be required to participate in department-approved education programs, work programs, or both, unless exempted as specifically provided in this section. Eligible inmates who refuse to participate in available education or work programs available at no charge to the inmates shall lose privileges according to the system established under RCW 72.09.130. Eligible inmates who are required to contribute financially to an education or work program and refuse to contribute shall be placed in another work program. Refusal to contribute shall not result in a loss of privileges.
     (2) The legislature recognizes more inmates may agree to participate in education and work programs than are available. The department must make every effort to achieve maximum public benefit by placing inmates in available and appropriate education and work programs.
     (3)(a) The department shall, to the extent possible and considering all available funds, prioritize its resources to meet the following goals for inmates in the order listed:
     (i) Achievement of basic academic skills through obtaining a high school diploma or ((its equivalent)) a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;
     (ii) Achievement of vocational skills necessary for purposes of work programs and for an inmate to qualify for work upon release;
     (iii) Additional work and education programs necessary for compliance with an offender's individual reentry plan under RCW 72.09.270 with the exception of postsecondary education degree programs as provided in RCW 72.09.465; and
     (iv) Other appropriate vocational, work, or education programs that are not necessary for compliance with an offender's individual reentry plan under RCW 72.09.270 with the exception of postsecondary education degree programs as provided in RCW 72.09.465.
     (b) If programming is provided pursuant to (a)(i) through (iii) of this subsection, the department shall pay the cost of such programming, including but not limited to books, materials, supplies, and postage costs related to correspondence courses.
     (c) If programming is provided pursuant to (a)(iv) of this subsection, inmates shall be required to pay all or a portion of the costs, including books, fees, and tuition, for participation in any vocational, work, or education program as provided in department policies. Department policies shall include a formula for determining how much an offender shall be required to pay. The formula shall include steps which correlate to an offender average monthly income or average available balance in a personal inmate savings account and which are correlated to a prorated portion or percent of the per credit fee for tuition, books, or other ancillary costs. The formula shall be reviewed every two years. A third party may pay directly to the department all or a portion of costs and tuition for any programming provided pursuant to (a)(iv) of this subsection on behalf of an inmate. Such payments shall not be subject to any of the deductions as provided in this chapter.
     (d) The department may accept any and all donations and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services from any third party, including but not limited to nonprofit entities, and may receive, utilize, and dispose of same to complete the purposes of this section.
     (e) Any funds collected by the department under (c) and (d) of this subsection and subsections (8) and (9) of this section shall be used solely for the creation, maintenance, or expansion of inmate educational and vocational programs.
     (4) The department shall provide access to a program of education to all offenders who are under the age of eighteen and who have not met high school graduation ((or general equivalency diploma)) requirements or requirements to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with chapter 28A.193 RCW. The program of education established by the department and education provider under RCW 28A.193.020 for offenders under the age of eighteen must provide each offender a choice of curriculum that will assist the inmate in achieving a high school diploma ((or general equivalency diploma)) or high school equivalency certificate. The program of education may include but not be limited to basic education, prevocational training, work ethic skills, conflict resolution counseling, substance abuse intervention, and anger management counseling. The curriculum may balance these and other rehabilitation, work, and training components.
     (5)(a) In addition to the policies set forth in this section, the department shall consider the following factors in establishing criteria for assessing the inclusion of education and work programs in an inmate's individual reentry plan and in placing inmates in education and work programs:
     (i) An inmate's release date and custody level. An inmate shall not be precluded from participating in an education or work program solely on the basis of his or her release date, except that inmates with a release date of more than one hundred twenty months in the future shall not comprise more than ten percent of inmates participating in a new class I correctional industry not in existence on June 10, 2004;
     (ii) An inmate's education history and basic academic skills;
     (iii) An inmate's work history and vocational or work skills;
     (iv) An inmate's economic circumstances, including but not limited to an inmate's family support obligations; and
     (v) Where applicable, an inmate's prior performance in department-approved education or work programs;
     (b) The department shall establish, and periodically review, inmate behavior standards and program goals for all education and work programs. Inmates shall be notified of applicable behavior standards and program goals prior to placement in an education or work program and shall be removed from the education or work program if they consistently fail to meet the standards or goals.
     (6) Eligible inmates who refuse to participate in available education or work programs available at no charge to the inmates shall lose privileges according to the system established under RCW 72.09.130. Eligible inmates who are required to contribute financially to an education or work program and refuse to contribute shall be placed in another work program. Refusal to contribute shall not result in a loss of privileges.
     (7) The department shall establish, by rule, objective medical standards to determine when an inmate is physically or mentally unable to participate in available education or work programs. When the department determines an inmate is permanently unable to participate in any available education or work program due to a health condition, the inmate is exempt from the requirement under subsection (1) of this section. When the department determines an inmate is temporarily unable to participate in an education or work program due to a medical condition, the inmate is exempt from the requirement of subsection (1) of this section for the period of time he or she is temporarily disabled. The department shall periodically review the medical condition of all inmates with temporary disabilities to ensure the earliest possible entry or reentry by inmates into available programming.
     (8) The department shall establish policies requiring an offender to pay all or a portion of the costs and tuition for any vocational training or postsecondary education program if the offender previously abandoned coursework related to education or vocational training without excuse as defined in rule by the department. Department policies shall include a formula for determining how much an offender shall be required to pay. The formula shall include steps which correlate to an offender average monthly income or average available balance in a personal inmate savings account and which are correlated to a prorated portion or percent of the per credit fee for tuition, books, or other ancillary costs. The formula shall be reviewed every two years. A third party may pay directly to the department all or a portion of costs and tuition for any program on behalf of an inmate under this subsection. Such payments shall not be subject to any of the deductions as provided in this chapter.
     (9) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, an inmate sentenced to life without the possibility of release, sentenced to death under chapter 10.95 RCW, or subject to the provisions of 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1227:
     (a) Shall not be required to participate in education programming except as may be necessary for the maintenance of discipline and security;
     (b) May receive not more than one postsecondary academic degree in a program offered by the department or its contracted providers;
     (c) May participate in prevocational or vocational training that may be necessary to participate in a work program;
     (d) Shall be subject to the applicable provisions of this chapter relating to inmate financial responsibility for programming.

Sec. 25   RCW 72.09.670 and 2008 c 276 s 601 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall study and establish best practices to reduce gang involvement and recruitment among incarcerated offenders. The department shall study and make recommendations regarding the establishment of:
     (a) Intervention programs within the institutions of the department for offenders who are seeking to opt out of gangs. The intervention programs shall include, but are not limited to, tattoo removal, anger management, ((GED)) preparation to obtain a high school equivalency certificate as described in RCW 28B.50.536, and other interventions; and
     (b) An intervention program to assist gang members with successful reentry into the community.
     (2) The department shall report to the legislature on its findings and recommendations by January 1, 2009.

Sec. 26   RCW 74.04.535 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 8 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department, the employment security department, and the state board for community and technical colleges shall work in partnership to expand the food stamp employment and training program. Subject to federal approval, the program shall be expanded to three additional community colleges or other community-based locations in 2010 and shall expand capacity at participating colleges. To the greatest extent possible, expansion shall be geographically diverse. The agencies shall:
     (a) Identify and seek out partnerships with community-based organizations that can provide support services and case management to participants through performance-based contracts in the food stamp employment and training program, and do not replace the positions or work of department employees;
     (b) Identify eligible nonfederal matching funds to draw down the federal match for food stamp employment and training services. Matching funds may include: Local funds, foundation grants, employer-paid costs, and the state allocation to community and technical colleges.
     (2) Employment and training funds may be allocated for: Educational programs to develop skills for employability, vocational education, English as a second language courses, adult basic education, ((GED)) courses to assist persons to obtain a high school equivalency certificate as described in RCW 28B.50.536, remedial programs, job readiness training, case management, intake, assessment, evaluation, and barrier removal and support services such as tuition, books, child care, transportation, housing, and counseling services.
     (3) The department shall annually track and report outcomes including those achieved through performance-based contracts as follows: Federal funding received, the number of participants served, achievement points, the number of participants who enter employment during or after participation in the food stamp employment and training program, and the average wage of jobs attained. The report shall be submitted to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature on November 1st of each year, beginning in 2010.
     (4) For purposes of this section, "food stamp employment and training program" refers to a program established and administered through the employment security department and the department of social and health services.

Sec. 27   RCW 74.08A.250 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 42 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this chapter, "work activity" means:
     (1) Unsubsidized paid employment in the private or public sector;
     (2) Subsidized paid employment in the private or public sector, including employment through the state or federal work-study program for a period not to exceed twenty-four months;
     (3) Work experience, including:
     (a) An internship or practicum, that is paid or unpaid and is required to complete a course of vocational training or to obtain a license or certificate in a high-demand occupation, as determined by the employment security department. No internship or practicum shall exceed twelve months; or
     (b) Work associated with the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing, if sufficient paid employment is not available;
     (4) On-the-job training;
     (5) Job search and job readiness assistance;
     (6) Community service programs, including a recipient's voluntary service at a child care or preschool facility licensed under chapter 43.215 RCW or an elementary school in which his or her child is enrolled;
     (7) Vocational educational training, not to exceed twelve months with respect to any individual;
     (8) Job skills training directly related to employment;
     (9) Education directly related to employment, in the case of a recipient who has not received a high school diploma or a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;
     (10) Satisfactory attendance at secondary school or in a course of study leading to a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, in the case of a recipient who has not completed secondary school or received such a certificate;
     (11) The provision of child care services to an individual who is participating in a community service program;
     (12) Internships, that shall be paid or unpaid work experience performed by an intern in a business, industry, or government or nongovernmental agency setting;
     (13) Practicums, which include any educational program in which a student is working under the close supervision of a professional in an agency, clinic, or other professional practice setting for purposes of advancing their skills and knowledge;
     (14) Services required by the recipient under RCW 74.08.025(3) and 74.08A.010(4) to become employable;
     (15) Financial literacy activities designed to be effective in assisting a recipient in becoming self-sufficient and financially stable; and
     (16) Parent education services or programs that support development of appropriate parenting skills, life skills, and employment-related competencies.

Sec. 28   RCW 74.08A.380 and 1997 c 58 s 503 are each amended to read as follows:
     All applicants under the age of eighteen years who are approved for assistance and, within one hundred eighty days after the date of federal certification of the Washington temporary assistance for needy families program, all unmarried minor parents or pregnant minor applicants shall, as a condition of receiving benefits, actively progress toward the completion of a high school diploma or a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536.

Sec. 29   RCW 74.12.035 and 1999 c 120 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Children over eighteen years of age and under nineteen years of age who are full-time students reasonably expected to complete a program of secondary school, or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training, before reaching nineteen years of age are eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families: PROVIDED HOWEVER, That if such students do not successfully complete such program before reaching nineteen years of age, the assistance rendered under this subsection during such period shall not be a debt due the state.
     (2) Children with disabilities who are eighteen years of age and under twenty-one years of age and who are full-time students whose education is being provided in accordance with RCW 28A.155.020 are eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families benefits.
     (3) The department is authorized to grant exceptions to the eligibility restrictions for children eighteen years of age and under twenty-one years of age under subsections (1) and (2) of this section only when it determines by reasonable, objective criteria that such exceptions are likely to enable the children to complete their high school education, ((general equivalency diploma)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, or vocational education.

Sec. 30   RCW 74.13.540 and 2001 c 192 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Independent living services include assistance in achieving basic educational requirements such as a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, enrollment in vocational and technical training programs offered at the community and vocational colleges, and obtaining and maintaining employment; and accomplishing basic life skills such as money management, nutrition, preparing meals, and cleaning house. A baseline skill level in ability to function productively and independently shall be determined at entry. Performance shall be measured and must demonstrate improvement from involvement in the program. Each recipient shall have a plan for achieving independent living skills by the time the recipient reaches age twenty-one. The plan shall be written within the first thirty days of placement and reviewed every ninety days. A recipient who fails to consistently adhere to the elements of the plan shall be subject to reassessment by the professional staff of the program and may be declared ineligible to receive services.

Sec. 31   RCW 74.15.230 and 1999 c 267 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:
     The secretary shall establish responsible living skills programs that provide no more than seventy-five beds across the state and may establish responsible living skills programs by contract, within funds appropriated by the legislature specifically for this purpose. Responsible living skills programs shall have the following:
     (1) A license issued by the secretary;
     (2) A professional with a master's degree in counseling, social work, or related field and at least one year of experience working with street youth available to serve residents or a bachelor of arts degree in social work or a related field and five years of experience working with street youth. The professional shall provide counseling services and interface with other relevant resources and systems to prepare the minor for adult living. Preference shall be given to those professionals cross-credentialed in mental health and chemical dependency;
     (3) Staff trained in development needs of older adolescents eligible to participate in responsible living skills programs as determined by the secretary;
     (4) Transitional living services and a therapeutic model of service delivery that provides necessary program supervision of residents and at the same time includes a philosophy, program structure, and treatment planning that emphasizes achievement of competency in independent living skills. Independent living skills include achieving basic educational requirements such as a ((GED)) high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536, enrollment in vocational and technical training programs offered at the community and vocational colleges, obtaining and maintaining employment; accomplishing basic life skills such as money management, nutrition, preparing meals, and cleaning house. A baseline skill level in ability to function productively and independently shall be determined at entry. Performance shall be measured and must demonstrate improvement from involvement in the program. Each resident shall have a plan for achieving independent living skills by the time the resident leaves the placement. The plan shall be written within the first thirty days of placement and reviewed every ninety days. A resident who fails to consistently adhere to the elements of the plan shall be subject to reassessment by the professional staff of the program and may be placed outside the program; and
     (5) A data collection system that measures outcomes for the population served, and enables research and evaluation that can be used for future program development and service delivery. Data collection systems must have confidentiality rules and protocols developed by the secretary.
     (6) The department shall not award contracts for the operation of responsible living skills programs until HOPE center beds are operational.