HOUSE BILL REPORT
2SHB 813
BYHouse Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Leonard, Ebersole, Armstrong, Brekke, Allen, Locke, May, Jacobsen, Lux, K. Wilson, Cole, Nutley, Cooper, Rayburn, Moyer, Unsoeld, Schoon, Hine, Taylor, Scott, Winsley, Meyers, Bumgarner, Belcher, Walker, O'Brien, R. King, Dellwo, P. King, Wineberry, Fisch, Rasmussen and Todd)
Creating a governor's commission on children.
House Committe on Human Services
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (8)
Signed by Representatives Brekke, Chair; Scott, Vice Chair; Leonard, Moyer, Padden, Sutherland, Wang and Winsley.
House Staff:Jean Wessman (786-7133)
Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations
Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass. (12)
Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Belcher, Brekke, Bristow, Ebersole, Grimm, Hine, McMullen, Peery, Sayan, H. Sommers and Sprenkle.
Minority Report: Do not pass. (7)
Signed by Representatives Fuhrman, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Niemi, Silver and B. Williams.
House Staff: Sandi Gray (786-7154)
AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 19, 1987
BACKGROUND:
Information about the needs of our state's children is often received piecemeal from agencies and providers who may only deal with discrete areas of need. In addition, there is concern that data from only the Department of Social and Health Services or advocacy groups may not go beyond the data required to address immediate specific concerns, frequently of a financial nature. It is felt that the problems faced by today's children and youth are of such a serious and complex nature that an appropriate high-level, visible and coordinated effort is required to identify those needs and plan for providing the services necessary to meet them. A long-range plan is needed to provide prevention and intervention strategies and a coordinated continuum of care system of programs. Public and private support and involvement is necessary in this commitment to the children of our state.
SUMMARY:
A Governor's Commission on Children is established to create a long-term plan for the coordinated delivery of services to the state's children. The commission is made up of legislators, industry representatives, service providers, and private citizens including a service recipient. Specified public officials are included as ex-officio members. The terms and conditions of office are specified.
The plan developed by the commission shall include: 1) needs assessment; 2) identification of current services; 3) recommendations for effective methods for implementation of a coordinated system; 4) development of a management system; 5) reduction of overlaps and gaps in services; and, 6) expansion of system coordination and funding prioritization. The first report on the plan is due January 10, 1988 and a final report is due October 1, 1988.
The responsibilities of the commission in acquiring the information necessary for the plan are listed. An allowance for staff and such services as are needed is made. The chapter is to be implemented within available funds. The commission shall expire November 1, 1988.
!bfEFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): The commission will be made up of eight legislators appointed by their respective caucuses and seven lay members appointed by the governor. Terms and conditions are no longer specified. Agency officials will not serve as ex-officio members, but are to be consulted in developing the long-range strategy along with a broad variety of service providers and interested parties. The report dates are modified. The first report is due October 1, 1988 and the final report January 10, 1989. The expiration date of the commission is amended to January 30, 1989. An additional duty of consulting with the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect on the need for a statewide database clearinghouse for child abuse and neglect prevention program is added.
Fiscal Note: Attached.
Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 1987.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Human Services) Representative June Leonard, Bill Sponsor; Jerry Wasson, Department of Social and Health Services; Robert Ott, Citizen; Robert Hunner, Northwest Resource Associates; Kip Tokuda, Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; Ron Wagner, Washington State Medical Association; Margie Kranz, Juvenile Code Education Project, Department of Social and Health Services; Jackie Stenger, Washington Association for the Education of Young Children; and John LeVeque, Alliance for Children, Youth and Families.
Substitute: (Ways & Means/Appropriations) T.K. Bentler, Alliance for Children, Youth and Families.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Human Services) None Presented.
Substitute: (Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Human Services) The state has long needed a comprehensive long-term strategy for addressing the needs of children and families. A mandated plan compiled by a highly visible commission on children located in the Governor's Office will lay the foundation for the state to address these needs. A nonpartisan needs assessment is very necessary to correctly identify the size and scope of many of the problems facing the state's children and families. There are many gaps and overlapping areas among services currently provided. Coordination is lacking. The commission will be able to address these areas and propose recommendations for reducing duplicative functions, filling the gaps and system coordination.
Substitute: (Ways & Means/Appropriations) Same as testimony from Committee on Human Services.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Human Services) None Presented.
Substitute: (Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:
Yeas 93; Nays 3; Excused 2
Voting Nay: Representatives Braddock, Sanders and B. Williams
Excused: Representatives Moyer and Pruitt