S-3703.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6392
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Senators Strannigan, Long, West and Oke
Read first time 01/16/98. Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.
AN ACT Relating to licensed overnight youth shelters; adding a new section to chapter 74.15 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that licensed overnight youth shelters provide essential services to homeless youth and are an important part of a larger network of services that protect the health, welfare, and safety of our state's youth. The legislature further finds most overnight youth shelters are administered by private nonprofit organizations that rely primarily on local community funds and volunteer efforts to support their programs. It can be costly for many overnight youth shelters to meet the licensing requirements established by the department of social and health services. Therefore, the legislature intends to provide a nominal amount of state financial support in order to assist these shelters in meeting state-established standards. A small amount of state assistance will enable licensed overnight youth shelters to leverage other local and private funds more effectively.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.15 RCW to read as follows:
The department of community, trade, and economic development is authorized to provide grants to licensed overnight youth shelters for the purpose of assisting such shelters in meeting the minimum requirements for receiving a license under this chapter. The department may provide grants of up to twenty thousand dollars per year for each shelter. Only shelters that are currently licensed are eligible to receive the grants. Funds may be used for the following purposes, including but not limited to: Additional staff, food, facility maintenance, or beds, provided that these costs are necessary to meet the licensing and facility standards adopted by the department of social and health services. For purposes of this section, "overnight youth shelter" means a licensed facility operated by a nonprofit agency that provides overnight shelter to a homeless or runaway youth because of family problems or dysfunctions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of one hundred twenty thousand dollars general fund-state is a appropriated for fiscal year 1999 to the department of community, trade, and economic development solely for the purpose of providing grants to overnight youth shelters that are licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW. The grant program shall conform with the requirements in section 2 of this act.
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