AN ACT Relating to creation of the one family one team public-private court innovation demonstration; adding new sections to chapter 2.56 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

(2) The legislature intends to support a public-private initiative to design and fund phase II of the family and juvenile court improvement program with demonstration sites that provide trained, committed judicial leaders, an early resolution intervention, and a dedicated multidisciplinary decision-making team in child welfare court cases. The early resolution demonstration initiative will build upon the improvements achieved by the family and juvenile court improvement program.

(3) The legislature's intent is to provide structure, support, and funding to advance superior court operations consistent with unified family court principles. Phase I of the family and juvenile court improvement program advances court leadership, education, and support. Phase II, consisting of the one family one team demonstration courts, will further advance court practices to improve outcomes for well-being and timeliness.

(4) An evaluation of these sites will determine whether the early resolution component improves outcomes for families. These evaluations will then be available to courts across the state so that they can adapt their practices to ensure better outcomes.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 2.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The administrative office of the courts and the advisory committee for the family and juvenile court improvement program, phase I and II, shall participate in the one family one team public-private partnership, a nongovernmental public-private partnership that supports innovation in dependency court proceedings that provide well-trained and committed judicial leaders, an early resolution intervention, and a multidisciplinary team.

(2) The one family one team public-private partnership may receive staffing support and meeting space from a private nonprofit organization dedicated to reforming the juvenile justice and child welfare systems in the state if that organization has the capacity to host the partnership and the partnership members agree to that organization.

(3) The public-private partnership shall identify private funding that will match public investment in the court demonstration program described in section 3 of this act. Public funding of the program is contingent on the commitment of private match.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 2.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) As used in this section, "early resolution intervention" means a legal or social service program used during the early stages of child welfare cases used in an effort to resolve these cases sooner.

(2) The one family one team public-private partnership shall spend its first year designing and planning the criteria for the family and juvenile court improvement program phase II court demonstration program to provide grants to superior courts wishing to implement the model, on a competitive basis.

(3) The partnership shall:

(a) Convene a planning and design committee composed of stakeholders and experts to identify an early resolution intervention model. A representative from the superior courts and a member of the private partners supporting the initiative shall cochair the committee. The committee shall identify the early resolution intervention model by December 1, 2015;

(b) By January 1, 2016, provide to the appropriate committees of the legislature a statement of the public and private funding required in order to provide demonstration grants to four counties; and

(c) Design grant guidelines and selection criteria for grant recipients based on a contractual agreement with the administrative office of the courts. If public funding is made available, the partnership shall administer a competitive grant program open to any superior court in the state. In order for any application to be considered, the grant application must include:

(i) Agreement between the superior court, the department of social and health services, the office of the attorney general, and the office of public defense to fully participate in the court demonstration program;

(ii) Commitment to provide judicial officers with ongoing training in issues unique to child welfare court;

(iii) Assignment of judicial officers to courts responsible for family and juvenile matters for a minimum of two years and allow those judicial officers the option of remaining in family and juvenile court beyond the minimum assignment length and consistent with general rule 29 of the Washington court rules;

(iv) Creation of a team-based approach in child welfare cases of professionals working together toward solving the problems facing each family;

(v) Provision of cross-system training to the team of professionals in subject areas unique to child welfare proceedings;

(vi) Implementation of an early resolution component as determined by (a) of this subsection; and

(vii) Participation in an evaluation conducted by a research entity with experience and expertise in child welfare systems research. Participation must include sharing data, identifying treatment and control groups, identifying research questions, and establishing outcome measures for all components in the model for all test sites.

(4) The grants administered by the partnership through contract with the administrative office of the courts in this section may only be used to support programs or processes aligned with the criteria identified in subsection (3)(c) of this section and may not be used to support general court operations.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 2.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The one family one team public-private partnership account is hereby created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from funds appropriated by the legislature and funds received from other sources for the one family one team public-private partnership must be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the account may only be used for supporting child welfare court programs and processes that foster judicial leadership, promote innovative practice including early resolution interventions, and adhere to a team-based approach.

(2) Beginning August 1, 2015, and subject to availability of funds in the account, the administrative office of the courts shall only use funds in the account to contract with the one family one team public-private partnership to design and administer planning grants.

(3) The administrative office of the courts oversees and is the lead state agency for the account. Only the director of the administrative office of the courts or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(4) Authorizations for expenditures may be given only after private funds are committed.

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