[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6667405,"mediaKeyId","2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d","parentId",2260817,"title","Bill would set safe operating capacity for juvenile institutions and allow limited transfers to DOC; witnesses urge safeguards","audioSeconds",292,"startMs",2188745,"endMs",2480810,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d&start=2188&end=2480","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d/thumbnail_2188745.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6667405/Washington/Bill-would-set-safe-operating-capacity-for-juvenile-institutions-and-allow-limited-transfers-to-DOC-witnesses-urge-safeguards","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667405-b9296bc6327150952249651998ff21a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144554&Signature=KIxY1ldXCgIL0mxFGrIc6Himi-OgXzQuEfQnmY1NiUdABjYKVnEPl4Ul2dC7dtJQs7YjnnjH1fk7zfCq7QkF6Z52~D~xM5cIgaVnzBUcONcwgrDJylpDFERq0L-~bmXGGH42Rcp8YhO~dMZFFkV-hPf~-3Fh2p~teY54bBd0JKS3uCB9Mq886Vy3Bc33oJiinmuTaDYokxKFkHNP1~I7zGXhvlh6lFW0VATjniKsG1EGQV3nghLc96PfkMrvw0d9Gl92eulLY7FM7~lp4CA9VjoyURYb5yzN80GO4DQZOgdp6wyKVR0ymG5PQOEjGhjg5INZOmNnOVI5udcCLMVR9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Early Learning & Human Services ","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","House Bill 1917 would require the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to define a \"safe operational capacity\" for juvenile rehabilitation institutions and take specified actions if populations exceed thresholds of that capacity. The bill also revises transfer and placement rules for people sentenced in adult court for crimes committed as juveniles.

Staff explained that the state operates two juvenile rehabilitation institutions: Green Hill School (Chehalis) serving males 17–25, and Echo Glen (Snoqualmie) serving females and younger males. Under the bill, DCYF must set rules defining the maximum number of people who can safely be housed and must plan when population reaches 90% of that limit. If a facility exceeds 105% of safe operational capacity, the department could transfer certain individuals to DOC, prioritizing the oldest people with the longest terms. The bill also authorizes transfers after a review‑board hearing when continued placement presents a \"significant safety risk\" or when an individual requests a voluntary transfer. The provisions apply to people whose offense occurred before age 18.

The hearing drew extensive testimony on the causes of overcrowding and the consequences of potential transfers. DCYF officials described emergency steps taken last summer — freezing intakes and temporarily transferring some residents to DOC — and said the bill offers a framework to plan and respond to overcrowding while urging continued attention to long‑term capacity solutions. \"We need to be able to operate safe environments,\" Allison Kreutzinger of DCYF said.

Unions and staff who work in juvenile rehabilitation described dangerous conditions when facilities are over capacity and called for permanent investment in smaller, well‑staffed community placements. The Washington Federation of State Employees and DCYF staff opposed unilateral outsourcing or transfers as written and urged safeguards to protect due process and rehabilitation goals. Legal advocates and child welfare groups expressed strong concern that broad transfer authority could undercut the state's policy of keeping juvenile rehabilitation up to age 25 (\"JR to 25\") and the science‑based rationale for developmentally appropriate treatment. \"This effectively ends JR to 25,\" testified a CCYJ representative.

Youth who have lived at Green Hill gave emotional testimony opposing transfers and describing education, college and mentoring opportunities under JR‑to‑25 that they said would be cut if the policy were undone. Their accounts underscored the bill's human stakes and were echoed by TeamChild and Columbia Legal Services, which urged the legislature to pursue alternatives such as stronger use of community facilities, planned exits and voluntary transfers.

Committee members and witnesses discussed other interim actions: opening additional capacity at Stafford Creek, reviewing closed facilities for re‑use and strengthening pre‑planning to avoid emergency transfers. The hearing closed with no formal committee vote; sponsors and stakeholders said they would continue negotiations on guardrails, notification requirements to local law enforcement and alternatives to DOC transfers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Early Learning & Human Services - 2/11/2025 1:30 PM","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 1917 would require DCYF to define safe operational capacity for juvenile rehabilitation institutions and allow specified responses — including transfers to DOC in narrow situations — when those limits are exceeded.","taxTitle","Human Services, Youth, & Early Learning, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20264,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667412,"Debate in committee over shifting family reconciliation services to community providers",698,831185,1529845,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d&start=831&end=1529","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d/thumbnail_831185.jpg","/articles/6667412/Washington/Debate-in-committee-over-shifting-family-reconciliation-services-to-community-providers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667412-e91c7e40ad4a42dbd0f5e2267d3e2a85/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144554&Signature=Wxu3zFI-zKAXLB-iat998U407Y5PpehOrDAch9fdlaFmBx7HHTrjG7TW9Py7XlkxM76STZB2YntFqlbHiSc9Kt2dzayvsKszF0tfWxYC1MChKi2I~gNFnsIkT3kDJfESL5zym4OLff5L2Xdo1BpdHcTODFiK3Vja-8sE9YO0LXScy4N5JpxM5M-BWxNcTsm2UFnPzbvyxY2aVtEdfEZ5dFon7rd2TPkI6CvUU3DQYbaLQYZSSE31K6JEG-UlG1e8aCCdFTxcK00t9c64R~xwGITHpueHNJDNEsVbHaxm6d~GHSp2ey2AC4eOWirwtmxUwQ6M~Q8t1rg6RTGpgM0a5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 1509 would require DCYF, subject to funding, to contract with community‑based providers to offer family reconciliation services (FRS) in at least three regions by Jan. 1, 2026, and statewide by Jan. 1, 2030. The bill expands the circumstances in which FRS may be provided and would add reporting requirements about requests and referrals to community providers.

Proponents, including Representative Taylor (prime sponsor), providers and advocacy groups, said community‑based, culturally relevant, trauma‑informed services better reach families who avoid or mistrust state systems. \"Family reconciliation services are not reaching families who need help, especially families of color,\" Kim Justice of Partners for Our Children said, noting data show higher request rates for Black, American Indian and Alaska Native families. Jim Theophilus of NorthStar Advocates and lived‑experience participants described the model as an upstream prevention approach that can keep young people out of juvenile and child welfare systems.

Several witnesses associated with DCYF or the state workforce voiced concerns about moving work out of the agency. Katie Durkin of the Washington Federation of State Employees said union members oppose outsourcing parts of FRS without assurances that state employees' jobs and bargaining rights will be protected; she said the agency has previously proposed state cuts and that staff worry about lost FTEs. A DCYF staff member who testified remotely said agency workers \"love the work\" and that private providers may decline cases or close them when youth refuse services, potentially reducing access for some families.

Supporters described a co‑design process and pilot sites—including an Everett pilot referenced by the Raikes Foundation—that informed the community model. The Raikes Foundation said it will fund an evaluation of the community FRS pilot. Testimony from TeamChild and Columbia Legal Services urged stronger safeguards and due process to avoid unintended transfers of responsibility and to preserve families' access to services without increasing system involvement.

Committee members asked DCYF staff and witnesses about implementation details, the fiscal note and workforce impacts. No formal committee vote was recorded at the hearing; sponsors and stakeholders indicated further negotiations and technical fixes would follow.","House Bill 1509 would require DCYF to contract with community‑based providers to deliver family reconciliation services in multiple regions by 2026 and statewide by 2030.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667417,"Committee hears bill to expand TANF time‑limit hardship exemptions amid testimony about families cut off",86,59940,146625,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d&start=59&end=146","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d/thumbnail_59940.jpg","/articles/6667417/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-to-expand-TANF-timelimit-hardship-exemptions-amid-testimony-about-families-cut-off","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667417-87cd25a2cd71ef4c9785764ac0f47e29/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144554&Signature=c~jn1J7nRMrAP42CYOVwJA1sTOCiWk-yDhOyTKMu-Z3ocQ-TKgS~RphiOJNa243TT1eJujhyawai5dbGzHZvTv5IVEuzqtl0e~ST4teITwAvoWm8iW9nk-L1ACGZgF8vsVR-TdiNS0d~LKla~ffisc7SL6H1Slqz0Bxd2soWTXHkHLlBHhgqeB0XbZDcgCs7DXDKRrSp2eKFjbAuRMxFjyXpCObNieRtxs2qXddm2qOZFw~FzcQEtAOFy5M2p7NbJEtYQd6Y0rn5dRVyaLS-BNkj7CPjazpvjzId3B1y-sQWgQY06gw~m4DnKKjSwjOh0MEIL9AS1gjxFYwdd3sU7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 1463 would expand the list of hardship circumstances that let the state extend federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits beyond the federal 60‑month cumulative limit.

Supporters told the Human Services, Youth & Early Learning Committee that the bill would restore flexibility some families had during the pandemic and prevent abrupt loss of cash assistance. \"TANF is a program that helps families living in deep poverty meet their most basic needs,\" said Liana Kressen, an advocate with Poverty Action Network, testifying in support. \"8,025 people, including 5,274 children, have lost their access to TANF despite ongoing need and deep poverty,\" she said, citing a recent report.

The bill would allow a time‑limit extension where termination or denial of cash assistance \"would result in financial distress for the recipient's family,\" expanding the current list of hardship categories described in Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) rules. Staff explained that federal rules generally cap an adult's receipt of federal TANF at five cumulative years, but states may define hardship exceptions and extend benefits for up to 20% of the average monthly caseload.

Representative Julio Cortez, the bill's prime sponsor, framed the change as an investment in prevention. \"TANF helps families maintain their housing instead of falling into homelessness,\" Cortez said, adding that reinstating the broader exemption would help families stabilize and avoid deeper system involvement. Multiple testifiers delivered personal accounts of sudden benefit terminations, paperwork struggles and health crises that led to interim loss of aid. Jessica Silver, a mother of five from Bellingham, described reaching her 60‑month limit and losing benefits after a missed document during a child’s medical emergency.

Committee members heard that the provision reinstated in response to the COVID pandemic expired in June 2023 and that thousands of families lost access when it ended. Advocates argued the current exemption regime is administratively complex and produces racial disparities in who receives extensions.

No formal vote was recorded at the hearing. Committee staff and members indicated the bill will proceed through the legislature for further consideration.","Lawmakers and advocates urged the Human Services, Youth & Early Learning Committee to expand state hardship exemptions that extend Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) past the federal 60‑month lifetime limit, saying thousands of Washington families lost benefits after a post‑COVID provision expired in 2023.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":91,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6667408,"Committee hears bill to let Developmental Disabilities clients access employment and community inclusion services at 19 instead of 21",1993085,2079765,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d&start=1993&end=2079","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2260817-c17be85cc127bb2d3b3d465636ccc91d/thumbnail_1993085.jpg","/articles/6667408/Washington/Committee-hears-bill-to-let-Developmental-Disabilities-clients-access-employment-and-community-inclusion-services-at-19-instead-of-21","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667408-a0aa31acaeb6c617749d0641369eb79b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144554&Signature=iLw0NxJiAW8Re3yIljcJdG-1kvOuBEakGtdpuu0W5opu7Ez-akqdbGxZ0n5C9v7a6V~AsQ76Oyx8Cpha1iYj6mVGHr2ZRuH6JHDe3pyhKnJkR08q3EYAyaqtDSlpkfdcKR2LIHlRRxHz5DlGgRAd0DaxLqPNjRF9PVzXb0zKj767JyxR7vz3nkZwgxjxMkZeFqlfv4bvDoP72Wk3ExrENhh13DoK4OpneQSRWr1~s69m37KENEPW89BJu23XgNjYkZTjNWswVWpD2tdWcrP9WUH4RyxULXF3Hyl1LV0pK34Xn-Xja-5vOQdwQy3xuoyj4nr-VRFfXUrbc13MO-uRaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 1493 would lower from 21 to 19 the age at which clients served through DDA waivers can access supported employment and community inclusion services.

Staff summarized that DDA home and community‑based services currently authorize supported employment and community inclusion for waiver recipients age 21 and older. Supported employment provides individualized ongoing assistance to gain and maintain work; community inclusion supports skill development and integration in community settings. Under the bill, DDA must provide employment services beginning at age 19 and determine service hours according to the assistance needed to reach employment outcomes.

Parents, self‑advocates and providers uniformly supported the change. Becky Bisbee described how earlier access to job development while in school helped her daughter move into part‑time employment and purchase personal items. \"Early access to job development services through school to work was the key to her success,\" Bisbee said. Kathy Murahashi of The Arc of Washington said the bill addresses the post‑graduation \"cliff\" many families face and can shorten the nine‑month waiting rule when students transition out of school.

Agency and provider witnesses said the change aligns with best practices and that other states make similar adjustments. The Community Employment Alliance and other providers told the committee they contacted other states and confirmed federal matching funds are available for serving younger adults under the waivers. No formal committee vote was taken at the hearing; supporters urged lawmakers to include funding to implement the change.","House Bill 1493 would allow clients of the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) to start supported employment and community inclusion waiver services at age 19 rather than 21. Families, providers and self‑advocates testified the change helps avoid a post‑school service \"cliff.\"","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would set safe operating capacity for juvenile institutions and allow limited transfers to DOC; witnesses urge safeguards

Debate in committee over shifting family reconciliation services to community providers

Committee hears bill to expand TANF time‑limit hardship exemptions amid testimony about families cut off

Committee hears bill to let Developmental Disabilities clients access employment and community inclusion services at 19 instead of 21