HB 2529 — DCYF accountability board

Summary

Concerning the department of children, youth, and families accountability board.

Bill Text

Compared against the Revised Code of Washington as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 1 section(s) of the Revised Code of Washington: RCW 43.216.015.

• RCW 43.216.015

  Beginning July 1, 2018, the Beginning July 1, 2018, the and beginning September 1, 2020 Beginning July 1, 2018, the beginning December 30, 2018, (a) The board shall begin its work and call the first meeting of the board on or after July 1, 2018. The board shall immediately assume the duties of the legislative children's oversight committee, as provided for in RCW 74.13.570 and assume the full functions of the board as provided for in this section by July 1, 2019. The office of innovation, alignment, and accountability shall provide quarterly updates regarding the implementation of the department to the board between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019. p. 8 HB 2529 (b) The office of the family and children's ombuds shall establish the board. The board is authorized for the purpose of monitoring and ensuring that the department achieves the stated outcomes of chapter 6, Laws of 2017 3rd sp. sess., and complies with administrative acts, relevant statutes, rules, and policies pertaining to early learning, juvenile rehabilitation, juvenile justice, and children and family services. (9)(a) The board shall consist of the following members: (i) Two senators and two representatives from the legislature with one member from each major caucus; (ii) One nonvoting representative from the governor's office; (iii) One subject matter expert in early learning; (iv) One subject matter expert in child welfare; (v) One subject matter expert in juvenile rehabilitation and justice; (vi) One subject matter expert in eliminating disparities in child outcomes by family income and race and ethnicity; (vii) One tribal representative from west of the crest of the Cascade mountains; (viii) One tribal representative from east of the crest of the Cascade mountains; (ix) One current or former foster parent representative; (x) One representative of an organization that advocates for the best interest of the child; (xi) One parent stakeholder group representative; (xii) One law enforcement representative; (xiii) One child welfare caseworker representative; (xiv) One early childhood learning program implementation practitioner; (xv) One current or former foster youth under age twenty-five; (xvi) One individual under age twenty-five with current or previous experience with the juvenile justice system; (xvii) One physician with experience working with children or youth; and (xviii) One judicial representative presiding over child welfare court proceedings or other children's matters. (b) The senate members of the board shall be appointed by the leaders of the two major caucuses of the senate. The house of representatives members of the board shall be appointed by the leaders of the two major caucuses of the house of representatives. p. 9 HB 2529 Members shall be appointed before the close of each regular session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year. (c) The remaining board members shall be nominated by the governor, subject to the approval of the appointed legislators by majority vote, and serve four-year terms. When nominating and approving members after July 28, 2019, the governor and appointed legislators must ensure that at least five of the board members reside east of the crest of the Cascade mountains. (10) The board has the following powers, which may be exercised by majority vote of the board: (a) To receive reports of the office of the family and children's ombuds; (b) To obtain access to all relevant records in the possession of the office of the family and children's ombuds, except as prohibited by law; (c) To select its officers and adoption of rules for orderly procedure; (d) To request investigations by the office of the family and children's ombuds of administrative acts; (e) To request and receive information, outcome data, documents, materials, and records from the department relating to children and family welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, juvenile justice, and early learning; (f) To determine whether the department is achieving the perfo → ar llows: The department of children, youth d f cutive branch agency. The depart is duties transferred to it under ch r 6 and such other powers and duties may vision for the department is W nd youth grow up safe and heal thr y, and academically, nurtured by fa an e department, in partnership with e a d communities, shall protect chil an te healthy development with e tiv , intervention, and early educati erv le manner. An important role for t epa eventative services to help secure pr e department shall partner with fed bes to develop effective services r y ecting the sovereignty of those tr a ent relationship. Nothing in chap 6, alters the duties, requirements nd dian child welfare act, 25 U.S.C. . , or the Indian child welfare act, ter art r, work plans to address, and tri children, youth, and families ed with state agencies to ensur rvi ilies are science-based, outco riv ive. The util iving department services and lternative programs funded by t n collaboration with cou j adolescent outcomes i udi t and homelessness; and in asi ssful transitions to adult d are and juvenile justice sy ms; educing future demand for nta treatment for youth invol i ustice systems; In collaboration with co y j riminal justice involvemen nd rease in the number of you who iversion or alternative se nci umber of youth who comm su g the discharge of youth m i ss; and Eliminating racial and thn s in system involvement and ros ration with other state age es. The licensure, provided to foster parents in writing at the time of licensure, and provided to foster parents applying for license renewal. (5) The department is accountable to the public. To ensure transparency, agency performance data for the services provided by the department, including outcome data for contracted services, must be available to the public, consistent with confidentiality laws, federal protections, and individual rights to privacy. Publicly available data must include budget and funding decisions, performance-based contracting data, including data for contracted services, and performance data on metrics identified in this section. The board must work with the secretary and director to develop the most effective and cost- efficient ways to make department data available to the public, including making this data readily available on the department's website. (6) The department shall ensure that all new and renewed contracts for services are performance-based. (7) The department must execute all new and renewed contracts for services in accordance with this section and consistent with RCW 74.13B.020. When contracted services are managed through a network administrator or other third party, the department must execute data- sharing agreements with the entities managing the contracts to track provider performance measures. Contracts with network administrators or other third parties must provide the contract administrator the ability to shift resources from one provider to another, to evaluate individual provider performance, to add or delete services in consultation with the department, and to reinvest savings from increased efficiencies into new or improved services in their catchment area. Whenever possible, contractor performance data must be made available to the public, consistent with confidentiality laws and individual rights to privacy. (8) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section and sections 1 and 2 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (a) "Board" means the department of children, youth, and families accountability board established in section 2 of this act. (b) ire ent d a (c) --- END ---

  amended

Action History

1. January 16, 2026

   First reading, referred to Early Learning & Human Services.

Sponsors

• (Dent) · Primary

Subjects