H-746                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 506

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Cooper, Sprenkle, Moyer, Brooks, Leonard, Brekke, Scott, Miller, Hine, Winsley, K. Wilson, Rayburn, Cantwell, Nutley, Dellwo, Appelwick, Valle, Holm, Pruitt, Spanel, Unsoeld, Fisher, Rasmussen, Grant, Sutherland, Belcher, Jesernig, Wang, Jacobsen, P. King, Brough and Todd

!ae200Read first time 1/30/87 and referred to Committee on Human Services.

AN ACT Relating to child abuse; adding new sections to chapter 43.121 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 70.58 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that children are society's most valuable resource and that child abuse and neglect is a threat to the physical, mental, and emotional health of children.  The legislature further finds that assisting community-based private nonprofit and public organizations, agencies, or school districts in identifying and establishing needed primary prevention programs will reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, and the necessity for costly subsequent intervention in family life by the state.  Child abuse and neglect prevention programs can be most effectively and economically administered through the use of trained volunteers and the cooperative efforts of the communities, citizens, and the state.  The legislature finds that the Washington council for prevention of child abuse is an effective counsel for reducing child abuse but limited resources have prevented the council from funding promising prevention concepts state-wide.

          It is the intent of the legislature to establish a cost-neutral revenue system through the creation of the children's trust fund which is designed to fund primary prevention programs and innovative prevention related activities such as research or public awareness campaigns.  The fund shall be supported through revenue created by the sale of heirloom birth certificates.  This concept has proven to be a cost-effective approach to funding child abuse prevention in the state of Oregon.  The legislature believes that this is an innovative way of using private dollars to supplement our public dollars to reduce child abuse and neglect.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.121 RCW to read as follows:

          As used in sections 3 and 4 of this act, the following terms have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

          (1) "Child" means an unmarried person who is under eighteen years of age.

          (2) "Primary prevention" of child abuse and neglect means any effort designed to inhibit or preclude the initial occurrence of child abuse and neglect, both by the promotion of positive parenting and family interaction, and the remediation of factors linked to causes of child maltreatment.

          (3) "Secondary prevention" means services and programs that identify and assist families under such stress that abuse or neglect is likely or families display symptoms associated with child abuse or neglect.

          (4) "Council" means the Washington council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 43.121 RCW to read as follows:

          The children's trust fund is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer.  Disbursements from the fund shall be on authorization of the council chairperson or the chairperson's designee.  The fund is subject to allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.  Moneys deposited into the fund may be spent only for the council to:

          (1) Contract with private nonprofit or public organizations, agencies, or school districts for the establishment of community-based educational and service programs designed to reduce the occurrence of child abuse and neglect.  Contracts also may be awarded for research programs related to primary and secondary prevention of child abuse and neglect, and to develop and strengthen community child abuse and neglect prevention networks.  Each contract entered into by the chairperson shall contain a provision for the evaluation of services provided under the contract.  Contracts for services to prevent child abuse and child neglect shall be awarded as demonstration projects.  Continuation of contracts will be determined by the success of the projects and community financial support.  Contracts for services to prevent child abuse and child neglect shall be awarded, in part, on the basis of likelihood of success as determined by current research and expert opinion.

          (2) Facilitate the exchange of information between groups concerned with families and children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 70.58 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) In addition to the original birth certificate, the state registrar shall issue upon request and upon payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars a birth certificate representing that the birth of the person named thereon is recorded in the office of the registrar.  The certificate issued under this section shall be in a form consistent with the need to protect the integrity of vital records but shall be suitable for display.  It may bear the seal of the state printed thereon and may be signed by the governor.  It shall have the same status as evidence as the original birth certificate.

          (2) Of the funds received under subsection (1) of this section, the amount needed to reimburse the registrar for expenses incurred in administering this section shall be credited to the state registrar account.  The remainder shall be credited to the children's trust fund established under section 3 of this act.