CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5433
Chapter 397, Laws of 2019
66TH LEGISLATURE
2019 REGULAR SESSION
INCARCERATED ADULTS--POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION DEGREE OPPORTUNITIES--REPORT
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019
Passed by the Senate April 22, 2019
  Yeas 32  Nays 10
CYRUS HABIB

President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 10, 2019
  Yeas 67  Nays 28
FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Brad Hendrickson, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5433 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.
BRAD HENDRICKSON

Secretary
Secretary
Approved May 13, 2019 4:45 PM
FILED
May 16, 2019
JAY INSLEE

Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5433

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 2019 Regular Session
State of Washington
66th Legislature
2019 Regular Session
BySenate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Wilson, C., Nguyen, Das, Darneille, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Kuderer, and Saldaña)
READ FIRST TIME 03/01/19.
AN ACT Relating to providing postsecondary education opportunities to enhance public safety; amending 2017 c 120 s 1 (uncodified); creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. 2017 c 120 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:"
(1) The legislature finds that studies clearly and consistently demonstrate that incarcerated adults who obtain ((associate degree))postsecondary education and training are more likely to be employed following release, which leads to a dramatic reduction in recidivism rates, significant improvements in public safety, and a major return on investment. The legislature finds that reducing recidivism would decrease the financial burden to taxpayers and the emotional burden of victims.
(2) The legislature finds that research indicates that ((associate degree))postsecondary education and training is an effective evidence-based practice for reducing recidivism. An analysis commissioned by the United States department of justice determined that adults who received such education while incarcerated were forty-three percent less likely to recidivate.
(3) Ninety-five percent of incarcerated adults ultimately return to their communities to obtain employment and contribute to society. The legislature finds that according to the bureau of labor statistics, unemployment rates for people with only a high school education are twice that of those with an associate degree. Research has shown that adults who participated in such education while incarcerated were thirteen percent more likely to be employed.
(4) The legislature further finds that correctional education is cost-effective. A 2014 study by the Washington state institute for public policy estimated that the state received a return on investment of twenty dollars for every dollar invested in correctional education.
(5) It is the intent of the legislature to enhance public safety ((by reducing)), reduce crime ((and increasing)), and increase employment rates in a cost-effective manner by ((authorizing associate degree))exploring benefits and costs associated with providing postsecondary education degree opportunities and training ((of))to incarcerated adults through expanded partnerships between the community and technical colleges and the department of corrections.
(6) ((The legislature does not intend to provide additional funding to the department of corrections with chapter 120, Laws of 2017 and intends that the department of corrections incorporate associate degree education into its available educational and vocational opportunities for offenders within existing funds set aside for this purpose.))It is the intent of the legislature to support exploring the use of secure internet connections expressly for the purposes of furthering postsecondary education degree opportunities and training of incarcerated adults. The legislature intends for the department to be able to provide complete assurance that all offender-used internet connections are secure.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department of corrections, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the office of the chief information officer shall submit, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2019, including the following:
(a) A plan for implementing secure internet connections to achieve the purposes of this act;
(b) The barriers and costs associated with implementing secure internet connections for the purpose of postsecondary education and training of incarcerated individuals;
(c) A review of the fiscal impacts, including any estimated capital and operating costs associated with expanding current educational opportunities to include providing postsecondary education degree opportunities and training to incarcerated adults through expanded partnerships between the community and technical colleges and the department of corrections;
(d) A plan for implementing the expansion of postsecondary education degree opportunities, specifying the estimated period of time necessary for implementation, within the estimated costs associated with the fiscal impacts reviewed in (c) of this subsection.
(2) The department may conduct a proof of concept pilot at one correctional institution for a new secure internet connection for offender postsecondary education. Results of the proof of concept pilot must be used to inform the report required in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) This section expires December 31, 2019.
Passed by the Senate April 22, 2019.
Passed by the House April 10, 2019.
Approved by the Governor May 13, 2019.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 16, 2019.
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