S-5431.1
SENATE BILL 6475
State of Washington | 66th Legislature | 2020 Regular Session |
BySenators Hasegawa, Saldaña, and Wilson, C.
Read first time 01/17/20.Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to establishing the identification assistance and support pilot program to assist individuals experiencing homelessness with locating the documentation necessary to qualify for certain forms of identification; adding a new chapter to Title
13 RCW; creating a new section; 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 lack of valid identification can be a barrier for exiting homelessness and achieving independence, as possession of valid identification is a prerequisite to securing employment, accessing housing, higher education, military service, and applying for many federally funded services. The legislature recognizes that procuring documentation to prove identity can be expensive, time consuming, and requiring expertise to navigate technical systems. The legislature intends to create a pilot program to aid individuals in collecting documentation of their identity to procure a valid form of identification more quickly. The legislature intends to measure the efficacy of the project by studying its impact on decreasing time spent unemployed and experiencing homelessness, among other factors.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Beginning July 1, 2021, the department shall establish an identification assistance and support pilot program to provide certain services to eligible participants.
(2) The department shall contract for operation of the identification assistance and support pilot program under subsection 4 of this section in one county west of the crest of the Cascade mountain range with a population of one million or more and one county east of the crest of the Cascade mountain range with a population of five hundred thousand or more.
(3) Eligibility for the program shall be limited to homeless persons as defined under section 3 of this act who lacks valid identification.
(4) The department may contract with an outside entity or entities to operate the identification assistance and support pilot program. If no outside entity or entities are available to operate the program or specific parts of the program, the department may operate the program or the specific parts that are not operated by an outside entity.
(5) The identification assistance and support pilot program established in this chapter is subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this specific purpose.
(6) This section expires June 30, 2024.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Department" means the department of commerce.
(2) "Homeless person" has the same definition as RCW
43.185C.010.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department shall evaluate the program including providing data on the number of persons served, the number of persons who were subsequently able to procure valid identification, any reasons volunteered by persons for why they need valid identification, and other information as available including, but not limited to, rates of employment and housing status. By November 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, and in compliance with RCW
43.01.036, the department must submit a report to the legislature and governor summarizing the department's findings.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department may adopt rules, as necessary, to carry out its duties under this program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 13 RCW. NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2021, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
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