| Passed by the House April 18, 2005 Yeas 95 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 11, 2005 Yeas 48 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1426 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. RICHARD NAFZIGER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved May 11, 2005. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | May 11, 2005 - 2:09 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/10/05.
AN ACT Relating to children of incarcerated parents; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that children of
incarcerated parents face significant obstacles in their lives. In
many cases, these children have witnessed the arrest of a parent, face
unstable living arrangements and multiple school placements, live under
financial hardship, and experience the social stigma associated with
their parents' incarceration. As a result of these factors, children
of incarcerated parents are at risk for poor academic achievement,
substance abuse, and delinquency and criminal activity that can lead to
their own incarceration.
The legislature intends to support children in the state whose
parents are incarcerated by encouraging the state agencies involved
with families of individuals who are incarcerated to coordinate and
expand existing services for these families in order to improve the
well-being of children of incarcerated parents both over the short term
and the long term.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) The department of
corrections, in
partnership with the department of social and health services, shall
establish an oversight committee to develop a comprehensive interagency
plan to provide the necessary services and supports for the children of
this state whose parents are incarcerated in jail or prison.
(2) The interagency plan shall include the following:
(a) Identification of existing state services and programs, as well
as recognized community-based services and programs, for children whose
parents are incarcerated;
(b) Identification of methods to improve collaboration and
coordination of existing services and programs;
(c) Recommendations concerning new services and programs for
children whose parents are incarcerated, involving both interagency and
community-based efforts; and
(d) Identification of evidence-based practices and areas for
further research to support the long-term provision of services and
programs for children whose parents are incarcerated, including the
following:
(i) Identification and ongoing collection of data relating to
incarcerated individuals in the state who have children under eighteen
years of age; and
(ii) Identification and sharing of information relating to children
of incarcerated parents who are involved in the juvenile justice or
child welfare systems, to the extent permissible under state and
federal law.
(3) The oversight committee shall include the following:
(a) Representatives with decision-making authority of: The
department of corrections, the children's administration of the
department of social and health services, the juvenile rehabilitation
administration of the department of social and health services, the
Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, the office of
superintendent of public instruction, the courts, prosecuting attorneys
and public defenders, and community-based agencies working with
families of individuals who are incarcerated; and
(b) Caregivers of children whose parents are incarcerated.
(4) The oversight committee shall seek input from children whose
parents are or have been incarcerated and from parents who have been
incarcerated in developing the interagency plan.
(5) The oversight committee shall develop the interagency plan by
June 30, 2006, with an interim report due to the appropriate committees
of the legislature by January 1, 2006.