HB 2203 — Creating a pilot project to assist incarcerated veterans.

H-2855.1H-2463.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2203 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session By House Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans (originally sponsored by Representatives Ryu, Walen, Paul, Reeves, Ormsby, Hackney, Fey, Reed, Taylor, Doglio, Donaghy, Goodman, Leavitt, and Davis)Davis READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 01/25/24.01/09/24.

Referred to Committee on Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans.

1 SHBHB 2203 veterans who are in receipt of federal department of veterans affairs disability compensation or pension benefits with notification to the federal department of veterans affairs of their incarceration for more than 60 days in an attempt to prevent overpayment of veterans benefits.

(ii) The reentry navigator shall contact each incarcerated veteran at least 12 months prior to the veteran's release date and provide the veteran with information on educational opportunities, including state registered apprenticeship programs, services, and resources available to the veteran following release from incarceration.

educational opportunities to train for employment,employment; including state registered apprenticeship programs;

(iii) Priority shall be given to veterans who apply for enrollment or enroll in an educational institution or a state registered apprenticeship program within three months of release from incarceration.

(ii) The reentry navigator shall coordinate with the department to identify appropriate expenses, including clothing, car insurance, cellular phone, home furnishings, or food.

2 SHBHB 2203 (ii)(iii) The reentrydepartment navigator shall coordinatedevelop witha thesystem department to identifytimely appropriatepay expenses,an includingeligible clothing,expense. car insurance, cellular phone, home furnishings, or food.

(iii) The department shall develop a system to timely pay an eligible expense.

(d) The reentry navigator shall monitor the status of each veteran participating in the pilot project.

If a veteran is incarcerated while participating in the pilot project, the reentry navigator shall promptly notify the department and immediately terminate the housing subsidy and reentry subsidy effective on the date of incarceration.

(7) The department shall report to the legislature by November 1, 2025, and every year thereafter until the expiration of the pilot project, on:on the number of veterans assisted by the project, the number of veterans eligible for the project but unable to participate, and the number of housing subsidies and reentry subsidies provided.

(a) The number of veterans assisted by the project;

(b) The number of veterans eligible for the project but unable to participate;

(c) The number of housing subsidies and reentry subsidies provided;

(d) The employment status of each participating veteran at the conclusion of the 12-month period after release from incarceration, including part-time employment, full-time employment, temporary employment, or unemployed;

p.

3 SHB 2203 (e) The housing status of each participating veteran at the conclusion of the 12-month period after release from incarceration, including temporary or permanent housing;

and (f) A comparative analysis of the housing and employment status between participating veterans and veterans released from incarceration who did not participate in the pilot project.

43 SHBHB 2203