CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6068
Chapter 326, Laws of 2024
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
CHILD DEPENDENCY OUTCOMES—REPORTING
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the Senate March 5, 2024 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 49 Nays 0
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
DENNY HECK Washington, do hereby certify that
President of the Senate the attached is ENGROSSED SECOND
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6068 as
passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
Passed by the House March 1, 2024 hereon set forth.
Yeas 95 Nays 0
SARAH BANNISTER
LAURIE JINKINS
Secretary
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Approved March 28, 2024 10:44 AM FILED
March 29, 2024
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6068
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Boehnke and
C. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 02/05/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to reporting on dependency outcomes; amending RCW
2 13.34.820; and creating a new section.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Dependency courts should work to ensure
5 the well-being of dependent children and to ensure that every young
6 person who leaves foster care has relational permanency – meaning
7 they have various long-term relationships that help them feel loved
8 and connected. This includes relationships with siblings, parents,
9 family members, extended family, family friends, mentors, tribes, and
10 where appropriate, former foster family members.
11 Legal permanency, achieved through reunification, guardianship,
12 or adoption is important, but it is not the only way to provide a
13 sense of belonging and meaningful connections for young people. The
14 federal children's bureau has cautioned that, legal permanence alone
15 does not guarantee secure attachments and lifelong relationships. The
16 relational aspects of permanency are critically important and
17 fundamental to overall well-being, administration on children, youth
18 and families, information memorandum ACYF-CB-IM-20-09, January 5,
19 2021. Relational permanency is one component of a child's overall
20 well-being. Washington state's data collection should reflect the
p. 1 E2SSB 6068.SL
1 importance of both relational and legal permanency as well as child
2 well-being.
3 Sec. 2. RCW 13.34.820 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 309 are each
4 amended to read as follows:
5 (1) The administrative office of the courts, in consultation with
6 the attorney general's office and the department, shall compile an
7 annual report, providing information about cases that fail to meet
8 statutory guidelines to achieve permanency for dependent children.
9 (2) The administrative office of the courts shall submit the
10 annual report required by this section to appropriate committees of
11 the legislature by December 1st of each year, beginning on December
12 1, 2007. The administrative office of the courts shall also submit
13 the annual report to a representative of the foster parent
14 association of Washington state.
15 (3) The annual report shall include information regarding whether
16 foster parents received timely notification of dependency hearings as
17 required by RCW 13.34.096 and 13.34.145 and whether caregivers
18 submitted reports to the court.
19 (4) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
20 specific purpose, the administrative office of the courts shall, in
21 consultation with others, identify measures of relational permanency
22 and child well-being and shall report to the legislature by July 1,
23 2025, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the following information:
24 (a) A plan for reporting on child well-being and relational
25 permanency;
26 (b) A plan for tracking and reporting on whether an order or
27 portion of an order was agreed or contested, and if contested, by
28 which party or parties;
29 (c) How to make such information publicly available;
30 (d) What can be reported using existing data;
31 (e) What additional information should be collected;
32 (f) What data-sharing agreements are necessary to ensure an
33 accurate picture of the needs of families in the dependency system;
34 and
35 (g) How many children in dependency have incarcerated parents.
36 (5) In making these determinations the administrative office of
37 the courts must consult with representatives who have knowledge of
38 data collection systems from the office of the superintendent of
39 public instruction; the health care authority; the department of
p. 2 E2SSB 6068.SL
1 children, youth, and families; the department of social and health
2 services; the department of corrections; tribal data experts; and any
3 other entity holding relevant data or expertise.
4 (6) Consistent with RCW 13.50.280, to collect data necessary to
5 evaluate the relational permanency and well-being of dependent
6 children, the administrative office of the courts may execute data-
7 sharing agreements with the office of the superintendent of public
8 instruction, the health care authority, the department of children,
9 youth, and families, the department of corrections, and the
10 department of social and health services.
Passed by the Senate March 5, 2024.
Passed by the House March 1, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 28, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 29, 2024.
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p. 3 E2SSB 6068.SL
Statutes affected: Original Bill: 13.34.820
Substitute Bill: 13.34.820
Second Substitute: 13.34.820
Engrossed Second Substitute: 13.34.820
Bill as Passed Legislature: 13.34.820
Session Law: 13.34.820