SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6542

BYSenators Smith, Vognild, Bailey, Stratton, Talmadge, Gaspard, Murray, Rinehart, Johnson, Lee, Nelson, Patrick, Amondson, Niemi, Fleming, Bauer, West and Sutherland

Regarding early intervention services for infants and disabled toddlers.

Senate Committee on Children & Family Services

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 23, 1990; January 25, 1990; January 29, 1990

Majority Report:     That Substitute Senate Bill 6542 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     Signed by Senators Smith, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Stratton, Vognild.

Senate Staff:Lidia Mori (786-7755)

                January 29, 1990

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES, JANUARY 29, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Public Law 99-457 was passed in 1986 and gave all states federal funding to help plan and implement improvements in early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  The federal money received by Washington was used to develop 29 projects which focused on discovering the best ways of providing case management, conducting early identification, writing individualized family service plans and reaching hard to serve populations.  Each county now has an Interagency Coordinating Council to help determine what needs exist, where duplication may exist and how services should be delivered at the local level.  Through these efforts it has become apparent that geographical and funding gaps exist in Washington's service delivery.  To continue receiving federal funds, the state must adopt policy implementing the required statewide program.

SUMMARY:

Policy is adopted which develops and implements a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency program of early intervention services for all infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  The Governor appoints the members of a state Interagency Coordinating Council which has many duties including the submission of an annual report to the Governor on the status of early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families operated within the state.  A lead agency is designated by the Governor which has the responsibility of identification and coordination of all available financial resources within the state.  Within each county a local interagency coordinating council is appointed to plan, coordinate and provide services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.  The services which infants or toddlers with disabilities and their families will receive are enumerated and include the creation of a written, individualized family service plan.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The definition of infants and toddlers with disabilities is changed such that it no longer includes those children who are at risk of experiencing substantial developmental delay due to biological or environmental risk factors.  Those children who are at risk of experiencing substantial developmental delay due to established risk factors are still included in the definition.

Appropriation:  $6,563,000

Revenue:   none

Fiscal Note:    available

Effective Date:July 1, 1990

Senate Committee - Testified:   FOR:  Sharon Hanson, Washington State Developmental Disability Council; John Taylor; Judi Moore, Boyer Children's Clinic and Early Childhood Development Association of Washington; Kristin Carrico; Mary Wilcox; Loren Freeman; Michael Conn-Powers, OSPI; Lillian Raines; Julia Bell, Pierce County Interagency Coordinating Council; Margaret Casey, Children's Budget Coalition and Washington State Alliance For Children, Youth and Families