H-0805.1
HOUSE BILL 1370
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State of Washington | 65th Legislature | 2017 Regular Session |
By Representatives Kilduff, Muri, Sawyer, Kirby, Holy, and Appleton
Read first time 01/18/17. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to community safety at eastern and western state hospitals; adding new sections to chapter
72.23 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that the cities where eastern and western state hospitals are located provide vital services to the hospitals to maintain patient and community safety. In particular, the legislature recognizes that the community policing program at western state hospital facilitates a safer community and increased communication between the hospital and the community. The legislature also recognizes that state hospitals are exempt from paying property taxes to support these services. Historically, when funded, these services have been funded through individual budget provisos directing state funding to the cities. The legislature recognizes that this budgeting approach is an unreliable and inconsistent manner in which to fund public and community safety services. Therefore, it is the legislature's intent to establish a permanent funding mechanism for these services by directing eastern and western state hospitals to enter into contracts with the cities in which they are located.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 72.23 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Western state hospital and eastern state hospital shall each enter into a contract with the city where the respective hospitals are located to compensate the city for providing public safety services, including but not limited to 911 response service and police calls.
(2) Beginning in the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium, each contract described in subsection (1) of this section shall be equal to nine cents per square foot of the respective state hospital. In each subsequent fiscal biennium, the hospital shall make adjustments for any changes in square footage.
(3) The cities may not bond the revenue allocated in the contracts outlined in this section.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 72.23 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Western state hospital shall enter into a contract with the city in which it is located for the provision of community policing services at the hospital and in the surrounding areas.
(2) For the purposes of this section, community policing services include, but are not limited to, dedicated police personnel whose specific duties are to provide response, reporting, and investigative services above and beyond the basic patrol response, to proactively address public safety issues at the hospital through interaction with the public about incidents relating to the state hospital, to investigate complaints of patient and staff-related incidents, and to conduct training for hospital staff.
(3) Beginning in the 2017-2019 fiscal biennium, the contract described in subsection (1) of this section must be no less than six hundred twenty-one thousand two hundred ninety-seven dollars. In each subsequent fiscal biennium, the hospital shall make adjustments for inflation.
(4) The city shall not bond the revenue allocated in the contract outlined in this section.
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