BILL REQ. #:  S-4787.1 

Read first time 01/30/08.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to community public health and safety networks; amending RCW 70.190.060 and 70.190.100; making an appropriation; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 70.190.060 and 2005 c 274 s 345 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature authorizes community public health and safety networks to reconnect parents and other citizens with children, youth, families, and community institutions which support health and safety. The networks have only those powers and duties expressly authorized under this chapter. The networks should empower parents and other citizens by being a means of expressing their attitudes, spirit, and perspectives regarding safe and healthy family and community life. The legislature intends that parent and other citizen perspectives exercise a controlling influence over policy and program operations of professional organizations concerned with children and family issues within networks in a manner consistent with the Constitution and state law. It is not the intent of the legislature that health, social service, or educational professionals dominate community public health and safety network processes or programs, but rather that these professionals use their skills to lend support to parents and other citizens in expressing their values as parents and other citizens identify community needs and establish community priorities. To this end, the legislature intends full participation of parents and other citizens in community public health and safety networks. The intent is that local community values are reflected in the operations of the network. The legislature also intends that the family policy council encourage the formation of a new network in areas previously served by a disbanded network.
     (2) A group of persons described in subsection (3) of this section may apply to be a community public health and safety network.
     (3) Each community public health and safety network shall be composed of twenty-three people, thirteen of whom shall be citizens who live within the network boundary with no fiduciary interest. In selecting these members, first priority shall be given to members of community mobilization advisory boards, city or county children's services commissions, human services advisory boards, or other such organizations. The thirteen persons shall be selected as follows: Three by chambers of commerce, three by school board members, three by county legislative authorities, three by city legislative authorities, and one high school student, selected by student organizations. The remaining ten members shall live or work within the network boundary and shall include local representation selected by the following groups and entities: Cities; counties; federally recognized Indian tribes; parks and recreation programs; law enforcement agencies; state children's service workers; employment assistance workers; private social service providers, broad-based nonsecular organizations, or health service providers; and public education.
     (4) Each of the twenty-three people who are members of each community public health and safety network must sign an annual declaration under penalty of perjury or a notarized statement that clearly, in plain and understandable language, states whether or not he or she has a fiduciary interest. If a member has a fiduciary interest, the nature of that interest must be made clear, in plain understandable language, on the signed statement.
     (5) Members of the network shall serve terms of three years.
     The terms of the initial members of each network shall be as follows: (a) One-third shall serve for one year; (b) one-third shall serve for two years; and (c) one-third shall serve for three years. Initial members may agree which shall serve fewer than three years or the decision may be made by lot. Any vacancy occurring during the term may be filled by the chair for the balance of the unexpired term.
     (6) Not less than sixty days before the expiration of a network member's term, the chair shall submit the name of a nominee to the network for its approval. The network shall comply with subsection (3) of this section.
     (7) Networks are subject to the open public meetings act under chapter 42.30 RCW and the public records provisions of chapter 42.56 RCW.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.190.100 and 1998 c 245 s 123 are each amended to read as follows:
     The family policy council shall:
     (1) Establish network boundaries no later than July 1, 1994. There is a presumption that no county may be divided between two or more community networks and no network shall have fewer than forty thousand population. When approving multicounty networks, considering dividing a county between networks, or creating a network with a population of less than forty thousand, the council must consider: (a) Common economic, geographic, and social interests; (b) historical and existing shared governance; and (c) the size and location of population centers. Individuals and groups within any area shall be given ample opportunity to propose network boundaries in a manner designed to assure full consideration of their expressed wishes;
     (2) Develop a technical assistance and training program to assist communities in creating and developing community networks and comprehensive plans;
     (3) Approve the structure, purpose, goals, plan, and performance measurements of each community network;
     (4) Identify all prevention and early intervention programs and funds, including all programs funded under RCW 69.50.520, in addition to the programs set forth in RCW 70.190.110, which could be transferred, in all or part, to the community networks, and report their findings and recommendations to the governor and the legislature regarding any appropriate program transfers by January 1 of each year;
     (5) Encourage the formation of a new network in areas previously served by a disbanded network;
     (6) Reward community networks that show exceptional success as provided in RCW 43.41.195;
     (((6))) (7) Seek every opportunity to maximize federal and other funding that is consistent with the plans approved by the council for the purpose and goals of this chapter;
     (((7))) (8) Review the state-funded out-of-home placement rate before the end of each contract to determine whether the region has sufficiently reduced the rate. If the council determines that there has not been a sufficient reduction in the rate, it may reduce the immediately succeeding grant to the network;
     (((8))) (9)(a) The council shall monitor the implementation of programs contracted by participating state agencies by reviewing periodic reports on the extent to which services were delivered to intended populations, the quality of services, and the extent to which service outcomes were achieved at the conclusion of service interventions. This monitoring shall include provision for periodic feedback to community networks;
     (b) The legislature intends that this monitoring be used by the Washington state institute for public policy, together with public health data on at-risk behaviors and risk and protective factors, to produce an external evaluation of the effectiveness of the networks and their programs. For this reason, and to conserve public funds, the council shall not conduct or contract for the conduct of control group studies, quasi-experimental design studies, or other analysis efforts to attempt to determine the impact of network programs on at-risk behaviors or risk and protective factors; and
     (((9))) (10) Review the implementation of chapter 7, Laws of 1994 sp. sess. The report shall use measurable performance standards to evaluate the implementation.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of forty thousand nine hundred 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 family policy council to provide a grant to the Skagit county child and family consortium.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act takes effect July 1, 2008.