Section 43.215.130. Home visiting services account—Purpose—Administration—Funding.

(1)(a) The home visiting services account is created in the state treasury. Revenues to the account shall consist of appropriations by the legislature and all other sources deposited in the account. All federal funds received by the department for home visiting activities must be deposited into the account.

(b)(i) Expenditures from the account shall be used for state matching funds for the purposes of the program established in this section and federally funded activities for the home visiting program, including administrative expenses.

(ii) The department oversees the account and is the lead state agency for home visiting system development. The nongovernmental private-public partnership administers the home visiting service delivery system and provides implementation support functions to funded programs.

(iii) It is the intent of the legislature that state funds invested in the account be matched at fifty percent by the private-public partnership each fiscal year. However, state funds in the account may be accessed in the event that the private-public partnership fails to meet the fifty percent match target. Should the private-public partnership not meet the fifty percent match target by the conclusion of the fiscal year ending on June 30th, the department and the private-public partnership, shall jointly submit a report to the relevant legislative committees detailing the reasons why the fifty percent match target was not met, the actual match rate achieved, and a plan to achieve fifty percent match in the subsequent fiscal year. This report shall be submitted as promptly as practicable, but the lack of receipt of this report shall not prevent state funds in the account from being accessed.

(iv) Amounts used for program administration by the department may not exceed an average of four percent in any two consecutive fiscal years.

(v) Authorizations for expenditures may be given only after private funds are committed. The nongovernmental private-public partnership must report to the department quarterly to demonstrate sufficient investment of private match funds.

(c) Expenditures from the account are subject to appropriation and the allotment provisions of chapter 43.88 RCW.

(2) The department must expend moneys from the account to provide state matching funds for partnership activities to implement home visiting services and administer the infrastructure necessary to develop, support, and evaluate evidence-based, research-based, and promising home visiting programs.

(3) Activities eligible for funding through the account include, but are not limited to:

(a) Home visiting services that achieve one or more of the following: (i) Enhancing child development and well-being by alleviating the effects on child development of poverty and other known risk factors; (ii) reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect; or (iii) promoting school readiness for young children and their families; and

(b) Development and maintenance of the infrastructure for home visiting programs, including training, quality improvement, and evaluation.

(4) Beginning July 1, 2010, the department shall contract with the nongovernmental private-public partnership designated in RCW 43.215.070 to administer programs funded through the home visiting services account. The department shall monitor performance and provide periodic reports on the use outcomes of the home visiting services account.

(5) The nongovernmental private-public partnership shall, in the administration of the programs:

(a) Fund programs through a competitive bid process or in compliance with the regulations of the funding source; and

(b) Convene an advisory committee of early learning and home visiting experts, including one representative from the department, to advise the partnership regarding research and the distribution of funds from the account to eligible programs.

[ 2013 c 165 § 1; 2010 1st sp.s. c 37 § 933.]

NOTES:

Effective date—2010 1st sp.s. c 37: See note following RCW 13.06.050.

2013 c 165 § 1; 2010 1st sp.s. c 37 § 933.