S-0648.1

SENATE BILL 5379

State of Washington

66th Legislature

2019 Regular Session

BySenators Wilson, C., Nguyen, Saldaña, Darneille, Das, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, and Zeiger

Read first time 01/18/19.Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to providing services and supports to parenting minors to improve educational attainment; adding a new section to chapter 74.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.160 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program was reported by the Washington state institute for public policy to deliver a benefit-cost ratio of three dollars for every program dollar spent and that graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program students have a ten percent greater high school graduation rate when compared to pregnant and parenting students not in a graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program. The legislature further finds that the United States census bureau reported for 2017 that nearly twenty-five percent of people ages twenty-five and older without a high school diploma lived in poverty and that intergenerational poverty can affect the lives of future generations unless the cycle of poverty is interrupted with effective services. Therefore, the legislature intends to improve family unity, student outcomes, and the development of our future workforce by removing programmatic barriers and promoting coordination among programs that deliver services to parenting minors.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.12 RCW to read as follows:

(1) An applicant is eligible to receive the maximum temporary assistance for needy families grant award regardless of the applicant's income if the applicant:

(a) Is under eighteen years of age;

(b) Has a dependent child or children in the applicant's care;

(c) Has available resources with values that do not exceed the exemption limits set forth in the definition of "resource" under RCW 74.04.005;

(d) Is actively progressing towards meeting the education requirements established under RCW 74.08A.380; and

(e) Is otherwise qualified to receive assistance under this title.

(2) If a minor parent applicant lives with a parent or guardian who is not receiving assistance under this title, the income and resources of the parent or guardian of the minor parent applicant may not be considered for the purposes of determining the minor parent applicant's eligibility for assistance.

(3) The income and resources of the natural or adoptive parent or stepparent of the applicant's child may not be considered for the purposes of determining the minor parent applicant's eligibility for assistance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 RCW to read as follows:

A parent who is under eighteen years of age and is attending high school or is working toward completing a general educational development certificate is eligible to receive working connections child care. When determining consumer eligibility and copayment under this section, the department:

(1) Must treat the minor parent as his or her own household when determining household income;

(2) Must, within existing resources, authorize full-day subsidized child care during the school year in cases where:

(a) The consumer is participating in one hundred ten hours of approved activities per month;

(b) The household income of the consumer does not exceed eighty-five percent of the state median income at the time of application; and

(3) Must designate children of minor parents as a vulnerable population in need of protective services pursuant to 45 C.F.R. Sec. 98.20 as it existed on January 1, 2019;

(4) May not consider the availability of the other biological parent when authorizing care; and

(5) May not require a copayment that is greater than the minimum copayment established by the department for the working connections child care program in rule.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a competitive application process to provide grants to school districts for the establishment of a graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program.

(2) Grants awarded under this section must be used for: Start-up costs associated with opening a child care center located on school premises; graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program staff salaries; support group facilitation; mentoring; or other expenses associated with the operation of a graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program.

(3) No later than December 1, 2030, the Washington state institute for public policy must evaluate the effectiveness of the grants awarded under this section. The evaluation must include a cost-benefit analysis and an assessment of student outcomes for graduation, reality, and dual-role skills program participants at five years after participation. Outcomes evaluated must include data related to participants' educational attainment, employment, and participation in public assistance programs. The institute shall report these outcomes to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature no later than December 1, 2030.

(4) This section expires December 30, 2030.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 28A.160 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By July 1, 2020, at the request of an eligible student, a school district:

(a) May allow the student to transport his or her infant on a school bus or other student transportation vehicle provided by the district. The infant must be transported in a rear-facing child restraint system as defined in the federal motor vehicle safety standards in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 571.213;

(b) Must, in cases where a district denies a student's request to transport his or her infant by school bus, authorize other arrangements for individual transportation in accordance with RCW 28A.160.030.

(2) For the purposes of this section, "eligible student" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.160.160.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 2 and 3 of this act take effect May 1, 2020.

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