H-2307.1
HOUSE BILL 1995
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Representatives Simmons, Ramel, Reed, Ormsby, Peterson, Street,
Doglio, and Davis
Prefiled 12/20/23. Read first time 01/08/24. Referred to Committee
on Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry.
1 AN ACT Relating to providing gate money to individuals releasing
2 from custody prior to the expiration of their sentence; and amending
3 RCW 72.02.100 and 72.66.070.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 Sec. 1. RCW 72.02.100 and 2023 c 467 s 2 are each amended to
6 read as follows:
7 (1) Any person serving a sentence for a term of confinement in a
8 state correctional facility for convicted felons, pursuant to court
9 commitment, who is thereafter released upon an order of parole of the
10 indeterminate sentence review board, or who is discharged from
11 custody upon expiration of sentence, or who is ordered discharged
12 from custody by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, shall be
13 entitled to retain his or her earnings from labor or employment while
14 in confinement and shall be supplied by the superintendent of the
15 state correctional facility with suitable and presentable clothing,
16 the sum of no less than $40 for subsistence, and transportation by
17 the least expensive method of public transportation not to exceed the
18 cost of $100 to his or her place of residence or the place designated
19 in his or her parole plan, or to the place from which committed if
20 such person is being discharged on expiration of sentence, or
21 discharged from custody by a court of appropriate jurisdiction:
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 1 PROVIDED, That up to an additional $60 may be made available to the
2 parolee for necessary personal and living expenses upon application
3 to and approval by such person's community corrections officer. If in
4 the opinion of the superintendent suitable arrangements have been
5 made to provide the person to be released with suitable clothing
6 and/or the expenses of transportation, the superintendent may consent
7 to such arrangement. If the superintendent has reasonable cause to
8 believe that the person to be released has ample funds, with the
9 exception of earnings from labor or employment while in confinement,
10 to assume the expenses of clothing, transportation, or the expenses
11 for which payments made pursuant to this section or RCW 72.02.110 or
12 any one or more of such expenses, the person released shall be
13 required to assume such expenses.
14 (2)(a) The same requirements of subsection (1) of this section
15 shall apply to any person who is serving a sentence for a term of
16 confinement in a state correctional facility and is:
17 (i) Transferred to community custody under the supervision of the
18 department of corrections pursuant to RCW 9.94A.501, or in lieu of
19 earned release time under RCW 9.94A.729;
20 (ii) Transferred from a department correctional facility to
21 partial confinement as home detention in the community as part of the
22 graduated reentry program under RCW 9.94A.733 or the parenting
23 program under RCW 9.94A.6551;
24 (iii) Transferred from a department correctional facility to
25 partial confinement in lieu of earned early release under RCW
26 9.94A.729, or as part of the work release program under chapter 72.65
27 RCW; or
28 (iv) Conditionally released by the indeterminate sentence review
29 board with conditions of community custody under the supervision of
30 the department pursuant to RCW 9.95.011, 9.95.420, 9.94A.730, or
31 10.95.030.
32 (b) The items and arrangements to be supplied by the
33 superintendent of the state correctional facility under this
34 subsection must be provided at the moment of the person's transfer
35 from total confinement to partial confinement, or transfer from total
36 confinement to community custody.
37 (3)(a) The department of corrections may provide temporary
38 housing assistance for a person being released from any state
39 correctional facility through the use of rental vouchers, for a
40 period not to exceed six months, if the department finds that such
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 1 assistance will support the person's release into the community by
2 preventing housing instability or homelessness. The department's
3 authority to provide vouchers under this section is independent of
4 its authority under RCW 9.94A.729; however, a person may not receive
5 a combined total of rental vouchers in excess of six months for each
6 release from a state correctional facility.
7 (b) The department shall establish policies for prioritizing
8 funds available for housing vouchers under this section for persons
9 at risk of releasing homeless or becoming homeless without assistance
10 while taking into account risk to reoffend.
11 Sec. 2. RCW 72.66.070 and 1971 ex.s. c 58 s 8 are each amended
12 to read as follows:
13 The department ((may)) shall provide or arrange for
14 transportation for furloughed prisoners to the designated place of
15 residence within the state and ((may)) shall, in addition, supply
16 funds ((not to exceed forty dollars)) in the sum of no less than $40
17 and suitable clothing, such clothing to be returned to the
18 institution on the expiration of furlough.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 72.02.100, 72.66.070