1682-S2 AMH FEYJ CLYN 524

2SHB 1682 - H AMD 207

By Representative Fey

ADOPTED 03/06/2015

On page 3, after line 4, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows: (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall create a competitive grant process to evaluate and award state-funded grants to school districts to pilot increased identification of homeless students and the capacity of the districts to provide support, which may include education liaisons, for homeless students. The process must complement any similar federal grant program or programs in order to minimize agency overhead and administrative costs for the superintendent of public instruction and school districts. School districts may access both federal and state funding to identify and support homeless students.

(2) Award criteria for the state grants shall be based on the demonstrated need of the school district and may consider the number or overall percentage, or both, of homeless children and youths enrolled in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools in the school district, and the ability of the local school district to meet these needs. Award criteria shall also be based on the quality of the applications submitted.

(3) Homeless students are defined as students without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento homeless education assistance act (P.L. 100–77; 101 Stat. 482).

(4) School districts may not use funds allocated under this section to supplant existing federal, state, or local resources for homeless student supports, which may include education liaisons.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 43.185C RCW to read as follows:

(1) The department, in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall administer a grant program that links homeless students and their families, or unaccompanied homeless students, with stable housing located in the homeless student’s school district. The goal of the program is to provide educational stability for homeless students by promoting housing stability.

(2) The department, working with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall develop a competitive grant process to make grant awards to school districts partnered with eligible organizations on implementation of the proposal. For the purposes of this subsection, "eligible organization" means any local government, local housing authority, regional support network established under chapter 71.24 RCW, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organization, federally recognized Indian tribe in the state of Washington, or regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organization. Applications for the grant program must include contractual agreements between the housing providers and school districts defining the responsibilities and commitments of each party to identify, house, and support homeless students. In determining which school districts will receive grants, preference must be given to districts with a demonstrated commitment of partnership and history with eligible organizations.

(3) Activities eligible for assistance under this grant program include but are not limited to:

(a) Rental assistance, which includes utilities, security and utility deposits, first and last month's rent, rental application fees, moving expenses, and other eligible expenses to be determined by the department;

(b) Transportation assistance, including gasoline assistance for families with vehicles and bus passes;

(d) Housing stability case management.

(4) All beneficiaries of funds from the grant program must be from very low-income households. For the purposes of this subsection, "very low-income household" means a family or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is less than fifty percent of the median family income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the grant recipient is located.

(5)(a) Grantee school districts, in partnership with eligible organizations, must compile information and report to the department and the office of the superintendent of public instruction the findings of the grantee, the housing stability of the homeless families, and the academic performance of the grantee population.

(b) Data on all program participants must be entered into and tracked through the Washington homeless client management information system as described in RCW 43.185C.180.

(6) Any program review and monitoring under this section may be conducted concurrently with other program reviews and monitoring conducted by the department.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If specific funding for the purposes of sections 2 and 3 of this act, referencing sections 2 and 3 of this act by bill or chapter number and section number, is not provided by June 30, 2015, in the omnibus appropriations act, sections 2 and 3 of this act are null and void."

Correct the title.

EFFECT: Retains all of the underlying second substitute and adds the following:

(1) A competitive grant process to evaluate and award state-funded grants to school districts to pilot increased identification of homeless students and the capacity of the districts to provide support.

(2) A grant program that links homeless students and their families, or unaccompanied homeless students with stable housing located in the homeless student's school district.

(3) A null and void clause, providing that the two grant programs are null and void if not funded in the omnibus appropriations act.

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