Passed by the House April 19, 2007 Yeas 98 Nays 0 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 19, 2007 Yeas 40 Nays 0 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate		CERTIFICATE I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1334 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. RICHARD NAFZIGER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk
Approved May 11, 2007, 9:57 a.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED May 11, 2007 Secretary of State State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to documentation in child welfare proceedings; adding a new section to chapter 13.34 RCW; and creating new sections.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that in order to allow courts to make well-informed placement decisions for children in the care of the state, the courts must have accurate information, including documentation supporting assertions or recommendations made by social workers, when appropriate.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 13.34 RCW to read as follows:
     In any proceeding under this chapter, if the department submits a report to the court in which the department is recommending a new placement or a change in placement, the department shall include the documents relevant to persons in the home in which a child will be placed and listed in subsections (1) through (5) of this section to the report. The department shall include only these relevant documents and shall not attach the entire history of the subject of the report.
     (1) If the report contains a recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department relating to substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, anger management classes, or domestic violence classes, the department shall attach the document upon which the recommendation, opinion, or assertion was based. The documentation may include the progress report or evaluation submitted by the provider, but may not include the entire history with the provider.
     (2) If the report contains a recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department relating to visitation with a child, the department shall attach the document upon which the recommendation, opinion, or assertion was based. The documentation may include the most recent visitation report, a visitation report referencing a specific incident alleged in the report, or summary of the visitation prepared by the person who supervised the visitation. The documentation attached to the report shall not include the entire visitation history.
     (3) If the report contains a recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department relating to the psychological status of a person, the department shall attach the document upon which the recommendation, opinion, or assertion was based. The documentation may include the progress report, evaluation, or summary submitted by the provider, but shall not include the entire history of the person.
     (4) If the report contains a recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department relating to injuries to a child, the department shall attach a summary of the physician's report, prepared by the physician or the physician's designee, relating to the recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department.
     (5) If the report contains a recommendation, opinion, or assertion by the department relating to a home study, licensing action, or background check information, the department shall attach the document or documents upon which that recommendation, opinion, or assertion is based.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act shall be known and cited as the Rafael Gomez act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2007, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.