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The 2005 State Legislative Wrap-Up
United Way of King County saw tremendous victories in 2005, thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, including many of you. We also want to thank lobbyist Remy Trupin, our numerous partners, and key legislators who worked to protect our Community Safety Net for the most vulnerable and needy. These victories are especially important as United Way of King County moves towards community impact --- leveraging resources into our community to address community priorities is one way that we can ensure that we are making a real difference in people's lives.
United Way of King County's Board adopted four priorities before the 2005 legislative session. They were:
Legislative Priority #1: Access to Services (211)
Issue # 1: Seek State Funding for 211 Implementation
Result: As a leader in a coalition that included many United Ways, call centers, and 211supporters such as Puget Sound Energy, we successfully secured a $1 million capital appropriation to support the technology and infrastructure needs for the state's eight proposed call centers. Because of the appropriation, 211 remains on schedule to go live in 2005! Thanks to Gov. Greogire, the entire legislature, and especially Sen. Lisa Brown and Sen. Karen Fraser, and Rep. Hans Dunshee and Rep. Fred Jarrett for ensuring this important funding.
Background: United Way of King County and other organizations are seeking congressional authorization and funding for the 211 system, as well as state funding. In the same way 911 fundamentally changed how people access emergency assistance, 211 will dramatically ease access to information about health and human services as well as opportunities for people to give back to their communities. Washington state will do a phased launch of 211 over the next 12 months with the goal of providing statewide coverage by mid-2006. We supported WIN 211's capital and operating funding request and focused our efforts this year on capital funding.
Legislative Priority #2: Homelessness/Basic Needs
Issue # 2: Support HB 1408: Create Matched Savings Accounts for Low-Income Individuals to Increase Housing and Economic Stability (the Savings, Earnings and Enabling Dreams Act)
Result: United Way of King County helped lead a coalition to successfully secure a $1 million appropriation for the SEED program! This funding will also leverage federal dollars. Where agencies provide their own matching dollars as well (such as those provided through the United Way of King County Community Safety Net fund), people have the potential for a significant match (three-to-one or four-to-one, or more). This effort was truly bipartisan, with special thanks to Reps. Eric Pettigrew and Bill Hinkle, and Sen. Dave Schmidt. The bill passed both houses unanimously. The Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development will manage the funds, which will be granted to non-profit agencies to set up matched savings programs for low-income participants in their communities. Additionally, this legislation will create an IDA program for foster youth transitioning out of care.
Background: United Way of King County currently hosts such a program and can see how it helps people move up away from homelessness. As of December 2004, 22 percent of investors were formerly homeless and 53 percent had received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in the past five years.
United Way of King County partnered with the Statewide Poverty Action Network, United Way of Snohomish County, KeyBank, Washington Mutual, BECU, and US Bank in this endeavor. The legislation was also supported by Seattle Savings and Loan, Children's Home Society, Treehouse, Mockingbird Society, and many other community organizations.
Issue # 3: Support Local Planning and Grants to End Homelessness (HB 2163)
Result: The bill passed. We anticipate that the funding will be approximately $6.2 million a year to King County. Over 10 years, this amounts to nearly $60 million towards ending homelessness. We will continue to monitor the work of the House Housing Committee, which plans to focus on issues related to homelessness over the interim. Thank you especially to Rep. Timm Ormsby and Rep. Mark Miloscia for their leadership on this issue.
Background: A bill requiring counties to create plans to address homelessness was introduced in the House Housing Committee early in the legislative session. The bill also created a dedicated funding source for housing and services to the homeless by increasing recording fees for documents such as those recorded during real estate transactions.
United Way of King County, which has been a partner in such a plan for King County, supported the bill along with the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless, the Low Income Housing Alliance, King County, the City of Seattle, and others.
Issue # 4: Support increasing Housing Trust Fund to $100 million.
Result: We were successful in increasing the Housing Trust Fund to $100 million. This will mean additional dollars to King County for subsidized housing to support our efforts to end homelessness. Special thanks to Rep. Hans Dunshee and House Speaker Frank Chopp.
Background: The Housing Trust Fund provides funding for local entities to develop, enhance, or rehabilitate low-income housing. However, the need for low-income housing has outpaced the available money. United Way of King County supported low-income housing advocates work to increase the Housing Trust Fund from $80 million to $100 million.
Issue # 5: Protecting the General Assistance Program
Result: The General Assistance-Unemployable program was preserved, affecting an average of about 3,000 residents of King County who might otherwise have been homeless. The Department of Social and Human Services is directed to find ways to make the program more efficient. We expect ongoing focus on this program because its caseload is growing. Special thanks to House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.
Background: General Assistance-Unemployable assists people who are disabled for more than three months, are without dependent children, single, and unemployable. GA-U support is $339 a month. This is the safety net for the people at the farthest edges of the margin. This year, Gov. Gregoire proposed cutting the program by nearly $18 million. Her proposal would have eliminated nearly 4,000 people statewide from the caseload by making it more difficult for them to be considered disabled. For many people on General Assistance-Unemployable, the program is a lifeline. It either helps them to get out of homelessness or helps prevent them from becoming homeless.
United Way of King County lead a coalition of nonprofit agencies and faith community organizations to better tell the story of who is supported by General Assistance-Unemployable. Three people were profiled and spoke on behalf of the program. We also helped legislative staff identify ways to ensure that GA-U recipients have access to other benefits (such as Veterans and Social Security) in order to save limited state dollars.
Issue # 6: Ensure state funding for mental health programs to replace lost Federal dollars
Result: United Way of King County worked to ensure that $80 million was included in the final General Fund budget to cover the lost federal dollars. This means services will be maintained at nearly current levels for the mentally ill.
Background: The federal government recently revised requirements for states' expenditures of Medicaid dollars on mental health services. Medicaid supports low-income people with health care insurance and services. Specifically, the federal government no longer allows states to spend federal dollars on either mental health services or people that do not qualify under federal Medicaid rules.
King County would have faced a gap of $10 million if these funds were not replaced by the state, which would have closed residential facilities currently housing hundreds of people, eliminating outpatient mental health services those not on Medicaid, specialized crisis services, and cut involuntary commitment programs.
On any given night, 8,000 people are homeless in King County. We also know that many of our county's chronically homeless face untreated mental illness. We followed the work of the Mental Health Task Force, a joint legislative-executive task force appointed by the 2004 Legislature, as it made its recommendations on this and other mental health issues and supported complete replacement of the lost federal dollars ($82 million statewide).
Issue # 7: Substance Abuse: Increase and Enhance Treatment Services
Result: SB 5763 passed. $21 million was appropriated in the final budget for elements of the bill, and the treatment gap was funded at $32.9 million. Thanks especially to Sen. Hargrove for his leadership on this issue.
Background: Many homeless people who are afflicted with alcohol and drug addiction have reached the bottom of a difficult downward cycle. Substance abuse is now recognized a serious illness, and often is accompanied by depression or other mental illness, a history of violence or abuse, or other trauma. In 2003, some 125,500 adults in King County had substance abuse issues. Increasing substance abuse treatment is one way to help homeless people and others move towards stability.
SB 5763 proposed to initially fund substance abuse treatment for up to 60 percent of low-income Washingtonians seeking treatment by 2007 (the substance abuse treatment gap). County legislative authorities are authorized to levy a 1/10 of 1 percent sales tax dedicated to new and expanded therapeutic courts for dependency proceedings, and new and expanded mental health and chemical dependency treatment services.
SB 5763 addresses a number of other specific necessary linkages in the substance abuse and mental health treatment systems, based on recommendations of the Joint Legislative and Executive Task Force on Mental Health and the Cross-System Crisis Response Initiative on mental health and chemical dependency.
United Way of King County supported the coalition of advocates for enhanced substance abuse treatment, and better mental health/substance abuse assessment and treatment, in recognizing correlation between substance abuse and homelessness, and its impact on children.
Issue # 8: Increase Homeless Families Trust Fund
Result: Because the fund was just set up and has not yet had time to expend money, no additional dollars were sought by advocates this year.
Background: A trust fund for supportive services for families transitioning from homelessness was set up in 2004. Based on the Sound Families Initiative model, funds would be matched at the rate of 5-to-1 by organizations providing services such as counseling in the community. It was funded at $2 million initially.
Legislative Priority #3: Children and Families
Issue # 9: Support HB 2596: Expanding early intervention services for children with developmental disabilities or delays to all school districts in the state.
Result: HB 2596 died in the House Appropriations Committee.
Background: Early intervention in infancy up to age three is critical to assisting children with developmental disabilities in their long-term educational outcomes. This bill, identical to one from previous years, would have required all school districts to provide or pay for early intervention services for children in the birth-to-three age group. With only half of all school districts participating in early intervention services, the current system is inequitable and results in far less access to publicly funded services for families living in districts without services. HB 2596 would have required school districts to provide early intervention services for birth-to-three. We supported this bill.
Issue # 10: Support HB 1441: Eliminate Medicaid premiums for children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of poverty level and expanding immigrant children's health insurance coverage.
Result: As part of strong coalition, led by the Children's Alliance, these changes were made in the final General Fund budget and HB 1441 passed.
Background: In the 2003 biennial budget, medical insurance premiums were imposed on children in families earning above certain incomes. This was expected to save the state money by eliminating up to 40,000 kids from the Medicaid program who could not afford to pay the insurance. It was not intended to save money by raising additional funds from the premiums. Gov. Gregoire's budget recommended eliminating the premiums, thereby eliminating the administrative barriers. Additionally, HB 1441 expanded coverage to immigrant children that had been effectively eliminated from Medicaid eligibility in 2002.
Issue #11: Support HB 1152: Establishing an Early Learning Council on childcare and early learning, creating voluntary rating system for childcares, and linking quality performance to state childcare subsidies.
Result: HB 1152 passed.
Background: Although Washington requires minimum standards for daycares to be licensed, daycare providers and workers are often underpaid and under-trained. Turnover is high, which affects the quality of care.
Washington's daycare quality could be higher. Further, parents have no way to compare one daycare to another. Most daycares are not rated through the national rating systems of daycare quality. Washington state also does not have a comprehensive system for enhancing daycare and early learning opportunities.
HB 1152 creates an Early Learning Council to study and recommend solutions to enhancing childcare and early learning systems. This will include solutions related to funding, as well as proposing a voluntary rating program in which daycares and early learning programs could participate, giving parents better understanding of differences in quality.
It would also propose a system for creating an incentive for daycares to increase their quality by tying improvements to increased state reimbursements for childcare for low-income kids. $500,000 was included in the state budget to continue a pilot tiered reimbursement project in DSHS Region One (Spokane) and $500,000 for one or more additional pilot tiered reimbursement projects. $350,000 was appropriated for the Council's work. United Way of King County supported this bill.
Issue #12: Support Increasing Childcare Subsidies for Low-Income Families
Result: Childcare subsidies were increased by $26 million in the final General Fund budget
Background: Nearly half of all King County kids will be in licensed daycare before age five. Many more are in unlicensed daycare with friends, families, and neighbors. Lower-income families may qualify for a special childcare subsidy from the Department of Social and Health Services to pay to their provider, but the Department's rates have dropped to just 26 percent or less of the actual cost of daycare in many areas.
At these low rates, childcare providers won't take DSHS-eligible kids. As a result, parents are faced with either unlicensed daycare options or the least-expensive (and likely lowest-quality) options in their area.
We know kids who do not have accessible quality childcare are at risk for not succeeding in school. We also know that it is difficult for parents to work without affordable, quality daycare. The monthly childcare cost range is $925 for infants and $650 for preschoolers in King County, while the maximum subsidy range is $832 for infants and $583 for preschoolers. We sought an increase in the childcare subsidy to at least the 58th percentile.
Issue # 13: Support Best Practice Prevention Programs in Child Abuse and Neglect
Result: HB 1663 did not pass.
Background: We know that children who are not ready for school often have a difficult time catching up. The Early Childhood and School Readiness Action Agenda, our community's plan for ensuring school readiness, specifically calls out parental nurturance in the early years as a key to a healthy life and success in school. Child abuse and neglect has a tremendously negative impact on children's readiness for school.
We also know that preventing child abuse and neglect is a better option than trying to counter its impact after it has happened. And, we assume that it is more expensive to reverse the effects of abuse and neglect. A recent study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that while we might assume "prevention" programs work and save taxpayer dollars, only in recent years are we beginning to understand the types of prevention approaches that work best and are most cost-effective.
HB 1663 created a "Prevention and Intervention Council" to direct and support the investment of state resources in evidence-based prevention and intervention programs in the state to prevent child abuse and neglect. It also would have focused on families in the child welfare system, and would have performed ongoing research and evaluation of prevention and intervention programs with to expand available evidence-based programs.
United Way of King County supported HB 1663.
Issue # 14: Ensure All Children Receive Proper Nurturance By Caring For Moms
Result: SB 5898 passed. This program was funded in the final General Fund budget.
Background: A child's brain is nearly completely developed by age three. The Early Childhood and School Readiness Action Agenda for early learning and school success recognizes that proper nurturance is key to ensuring healthy physical and emotional development in infants and young children. Unfortunately, as many as 10 percent of mothers experience postpartum depression after birth, and a smaller percentage experience postpartum psychosis (severe depression).
While many women are eventually able to rebalance emotionally, some require ongoing treatment and medication. In the most severe cases, these mothers are unable to properly care for their newborns and older children, resulting in neglect, psychological distress, or even death. Information about postpartum depression and access to treatment is inconsistently distributed in Washington and King County. HB 1427 and SB 5898 establish a pilot program for a public education campaign on postpartum depression.
Issue # 15: Reinvesting in Youth to Keep Kids Out of Crime
Result: The bill passed the House but did not pass the Senate.
Background: Many proven programs targeting juvenile offenders can keep those kids away from crime and on the path towards productivity. However, when local governments invest in such programs, much of the cost savings go to the state treasury instead of staying locally. HB 1483 would create a grant program to redirect some of those savings back to local governments to encourage continued investment in proven programs.
Legislative Priority #4: Nonprofit Capacity
Issue # 16: Criminal Background Check Procedures for Volunteers.
Result: The Task Forces were reauthorized through legislation for this interim to complete additional work. United Way of King County will likely be appointed to the task force as a representative of volunteer centers around the state. Special thanks to Rep. Al O'Brien and Rep. Brian Sullivan for adding United Way of King County to the task force. We will continue to be a voice for a reasonable approach to background checks to ensure the safety of our children and youth and also ensure that organizations can continue to rely on volunteers as necessary to achieve their missions.
Background: Due to many scandals involving the supervision of children and vulnerable people, the legislature decided in 2004 to study the criminal background-check procedures for nonprofit volunteers.
Two separate task forces were created; one headed by the Washington State Patrol that studied
The other task force is looking at
United Way of King County tracked the work of this task force to understand the impact of its recommendations on organizations relying heavily on volunteers.
For more information about United Way of King County's Public Policy Agenda and how to get involved, contact Laura Hitchcock at (206) 461-3756.Learn More
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