BILL REQ. #:  S-4056.2 

Read first time 01/18/08.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to a grant program for neighborhood organizations to support community safety activities; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that neighborhood organizations that carry out crime watch and other crime prevention functions are important to community safety. These groups encourage neighbors to look out for criminal incidents in their neighborhoods and to report such incidents to law enforcement. The legislature intends by this act to create a grant program to support these functions and to encourage innovation in the activities carried out by such groups to promote safe and coordinated crime prevention strategies.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) There is established in the department of community, trade, and economic development a competitive grant program to encourage communities to develop coordinated strategies to reduce crime and promote safety.
     (2) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall make awards, subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, under the following terms:
     (a) At a minimum, grant applications must:
     (i) Provide evidence that the applicant is a nonprofit entity;
     (ii) Define the geographic area to be served;
     (iii) Include a needs assessment describing the impact of crime in the area which may include, but is not limited to, local crime statistics;
     (iv) Explain in detail (A) the crime prevention and safety promotion strategy for the area; and (B) an implementation plan including objectives, tasks, and benchmarks; and
     (v) Provide evidence (A) of additional resources committed to the applicant's strategy totaling at least twenty-five percent of funds awarded under this section. These resources may consist of public or private funds, donated goods or services, and other measurable commitments, including in-kind contributions such as volunteer services, materials, supplies, physical facilities, or a combination thereof; and (B) that the funds applied for, if received, will not be used to replace funding for existing activities.
     (b) Activities that may be funded through this grant program include, but are not limited to, those that:
     (i) Build community among neighbors and neighborhood organizations, including law enforcement, other local government entities, and local social services providers, to encourage collaboration in reducing crime and promoting safety;
     (ii) Promote awareness of the programs for which funding is sought;
     (iii) Educate individuals on crime prevention and safety techniques; and/or
     (iv) Create or build on efforts by existing community programs, coordinate their efforts, and/or develop other cooperative efforts or initiatives to make most effective use of resources to carry out the crime prevention and safety promotion strategy.
     (3) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall review applications for funding and, no later than October 1, 2008, select grant recipients. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the department may select new recipients every two years thereafter.
     (4) Upon receiving funds, each recipient shall provide the department with data and other information the department deems necessary to monitor the recipient's activities funded under this section. The purpose of such monitoring is to determine whether the recipient is making progress in reaching its benchmarks, with such benchmarks having been specified in the initial application.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall conduct an evaluation of the extent to which:
     (a) The department has monitored each grant recipient's activities funded by the program created in section 2 of this act; and
     (b) Each grant recipient is making progress in reaching its benchmarks relating to crime prevention and safety promotion, with such benchmarks having been specified in the initial application.
     The department and each grant recipient shall submit to the department and to the joint legislative audit and review committee such data and other information as the joint legislative audit and review committee determines is necessary and relevant to make these determinations.
     (2) The joint legislative audit and review committee may contract with the Washington state institute for public policy for appropriate portions of the evaluation required by this section.
     (3) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature not later than August 30, 2010, and August 30, 2012, and every two years thereafter as determined by the legislature in the operating budget. The department shall consider the joint legislative audit and review committee evaluation of future applications by evaluated entities and for projects similar to evaluated projects.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the department of community, trade, and economic development for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Sections 1 through 3 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.