February 16-20
Tuesday, February 17 marked the deadline for bills to pass out of their chamber of origin. Many proposals do not advance beyond this point and are considered “dead” for the session, except for bills deemed necessary to implement the budget. Measures that have advanced must now repeat the committee and floor process in the opposite chamber.
A key priority for Partners for Our Children, SSB 5911, passed the Senate unanimously and was heard in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, February 18. This bill ends the practice of withholding federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from youth in extended foster care who have a disability or who have experienced the death of a parent. Passage of SSB 5911 represents an important first step toward ending this harmful practice for all children and youth in foster care.
Three Senate bills intended to address the rise in critical incidents among children involved in the child welfare system did not advance before the deadline:
- SSB 6308 authorizes courts to order certain conditions to maintain safety when a child under the age of five remains in the home following a shelter care hearing.
- SSB 6319 creates a community-based pathway for referrals to services that may extend up to six months in communities that have high rates of critical incidents that impact children under the age of four where parental use of high-potency synthetic opioids was a factor in the case.
- SB 5979 requires the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to develop policies, practice guidelines, and training for the filing of dependency petitions and use of in-home dependencies.
Attention now turns to the budget as the primary vehicle for making meaningful investments—especially those that support families with young children affected by substance use.
Priority budget investments
- Expand the Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP) by 32 slots to deliver intensive case management and recovery support for pregnant and parenting individuals involved in child welfare due to substance use ($419,000).
- Expand pre-filing representation models such as FIRST Clinic, a proven early intervention service for pregnant and parenting families so they can remain together and avoid child welfare involvement ($500,000).
- Include public health nurses in safety planning for families with children under age four impacted by substance use ($876,000, DCYF).
- Refer high-needs families with children up to age 3 in five high-need communities to Plan of Safe Care ($252,000).
- Preserve the Family Impact Network which connects families in Central and Eastern WA to providers so that they receive timely access to court-ordered services.
- Fund a $1.5 million capital request to double the capacity for Evergreen Recovery Center’s residential treatment program for pregnant women, mothers, and their young children.
Budget proposals are expected to be released over the weekend and heard in fiscal committees early next week. The Legislature has until March 12, the final day of the regular session, to negotiate and pass a final budget.
Weekly bill tracker
The weekly P4C bill tracker highlights bills related to our priorities, particularly in child welfare. Please note that the inclusion of bills in the tracker does not reflect P4C’s position for or against the bill.
Other ways to stay informed
- TVW offers live and archived coverage of legislative committees and other events.
- The legislative website provides comprehensive information on bills, committee schedules, and contact information for legislators.