AN ACT Relating to housing and services for teen parents; adding new sections to chapter 43.63A RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that housing and related services are a critical need of many pregnant and parenting teenage persons. Young single mothers have become a rapidly growing segment of the homeless population. Lack of a permanent address may prevent many of these persons from receiving public assistance and social and health services, including appropriate prenatal care. Pregnancy is the number one cause of female high school dropouts.

The legislature also finds that pregnant and parenting teenage persons with adequate and stable housing are more likely to obtain medical care for themselves and their children, are more likely to remain or reenroll in school.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department shall establish three demonstration projects throughout the state. These demonstration projects shall provide community-based housing options and support services to homeless teenage parents or homeless teenage pregnant women. The demonstration projects shall include both housing options under section 3 of this act and services options under section 4 of this act. The community-based housing program shall make housing units available to families with teenage parents in public housing, nonprofit agency sponsored housing, and private market housing. The adolescent parents may pay for this housing through public assistance. Social services shall also be provided to assist teenage parents in obtaining housing, staying in school, funding child care, accessing available services, seeking employment, and making the transition to independent living. The demonstration programs shall be available only to teenage parents who attend school or training while participating in the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department may consider the following program options separately or in combination regarding housing provided under sections 1 through 7 of this act: (1) Short-term emergency foster care for pregnant and parenting teenage persons; (2) foster care for a teenage mother and her child where the teenage mother can be nurtured while learning parenting skills; (3) small group homes; (4) semi-independent housing; and (5) independent housing. The organization conducting the demonstration project shall identify housing units and assist teens in moving into temporary, transitional, or permanent housing.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. In selecting the public agencies or public nonprofit community-based organizations to conduct the demonstration programs, the department shall consider in addition to housing provided under section 3 of this act: (1) The amount of additional funding provided through the organization; and (2) the services provided by the organization, including (a) case management, (b) medical care, (c) parenting classes, (d) child care, (e) counseling, (f) mental health services, (g) substance abuse services, (h) career counseling, and (i) child abuse intervention.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department shall work with the department of social and health services and other agencies and organizations to coordinate and assist the teenage pregnant woman or teenage parent in accessing housing and service programs available to those persons and their children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The department, the department of social and health services, or other state agencies may make any rules necessary to carry out sections 1 through 7 of this act. The department shall administer these demonstration projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department shall report and make recommendations to the legislature regarding the demonstration programs authorized under sections 1 through 7 of this act to the house of representatives housing and human services committees, and to the senate economic development and labor and children and family services committees in January 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. There is hereby appropriated six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as is necessary, from the general fund for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to the department of community development for the purposes of sections 1 through 7 of this act. Fifty thousand dollars of this appropriation may be used by the department of community development for administrative expenses.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 7 of this act are each added to chapter 43.63A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. This act shall expire June 30, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.