Bill Descriptions - 2006

A) HB 1107 Birth to Three Early Intervention Services: Requires each school district to provide or contract for early intervention services to all eligible children with disabilities from birth to three years of age.

B) HB 2002 Foster Youth Achievement Act: Extends foster care services to youth through 21 years of age who are pursuing post-secondary education including vocational education through a pilot program.

C) HB 2376 Undoing Premium Authorization: Removes the ability of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to require cost-sharing measurements such as premiums for children on Medicaid and other state-funded medical programs.

D) HB 2418 Home Security Fund: Invests money into the Housing Trust Fund for low-income housing projects and provides that an interagency council on homelessness shall be convened to report to the appropriate committees of the legislature annually.

E) HB 2964 Early Learning Agency: Establishes a new cabinet level state agency of Early Learning consisting of child care and early learning programs the state currently funds. This bill also authorizes the new department to work with a public private partnership to provide high quality early learning programs to all children.

F) HB 2985 Foster Care Health Unit: Requires DSHS to create a health unit to review issues related to health care for foster children and provide a report of their recommendations to the legislature.

G) SB 5048 Prohibiting Tobacco Sampling: Prohibits the distribution of tobacco products through the practice of sampling which is commonly used to encourage youth to begin smoking.

H) SB 6197 Interagency Council on Health Disparities: Creates the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities to promote and facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration among relevant state agencies and communities of color to address health disparities.

I) SB 6386 Supplemental Operating Budget: The biennial budget as amended to reflect changes in caseload, new revenues, and new spending.