Veteran employability

AN ACT Relating to establishing the veteran employability 1
training and career advancement for reentry program; adding a new 2
chapter to Title 28B RCW; and providing an expiration date.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The definitions in this section apply 5
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires 6
otherwise.7
(1) "College board" means the state board for community and 8
technical colleges created in chapter 28B.50 RCW. 9
(2) "Community college" has the same meaning as in RCW 10
28B.50.030. 11
(3) "Correctional facility" has the same meaning as defined in 12
RCW 72.09.015. 13
(4) "Department" means the department of corrections.14
(5) "Immediate family" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 15
72.09.015. 16
(6) "Justice involved" has the same meaning as "inmate" as 17
defined in RCW 72.09.015 and includes currently or formerly 18
incarcerated individuals and defendants participating in pretrial 19
diversion programs 18 to 24 months in length in Pierce, King, or 20
Snohomish county. 21
H-0357.1
HOUSE BILL 1161
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Ryu, Obras, Paul, Davis, Ormsby, and Hill
Prefiled 01/03/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Postsecondary Education & Workforce.
p. 1 HB 1161
(7) "Participant" means an eligible justice involved veteran who 1
has been approved and accepted to participate in the program.2
(8) "Program" means the veteran employability training and career 3
advancement for reentry program created in section 2 of this act.4
(9) "Veteran" means any person who, regardless of discharge, has 5
served in any branch of the armed forces of the United States.6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Subject to amounts appropriated for 7
this specific purpose, the veteran employability training and career 8
advancement for reentry program is established within the college 9
board to provide individualized transitional and soft skills to 10
justice involved veterans and their families to improve economic 11
well-being, reduce recidivism, prevent homelessness, improve 12
reintegration, and provide a workforce that is educated and trained 13
for living-wage careers of the 21st century.14
(2) In administering the program, the college board shall select 15
one community college west of the crest of the Cascade mountain range 16
to participate in the program by serving participants. Community 17
colleges with demonstrated records of providing similar services must 18
be prioritized. 19
(3) The selected community college shall: 20
(a) Make use of available programs, courses, and methods to 21
deliver transitional employment and reentry readiness materials to 22
participants; and 23
(b) Employ a full-time equivalent reentry and educational 24
navigator to determine eligibility and, in collaboration with the 25
department, establish contact with eligible justice involved 26
veterans. The navigator shall provide participants individualized 27
transitional reentry and employment readiness services including, 28
where applicable: 29
(i) Requesting written permission from participants to contact 30
and offer services to their immediate family; 31
(ii) Conducting intensive intake interviews with participants and 32
approved immediate family; 33
(iii) Verifying eligibility by obtaining proof of military 34
service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States;35
(iv) Collaborating with the department and other relevant 36
agencies to deliver individualized prerelease programs through 37
correspondence, approved textbooks, or core curriculum objectives;38
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(v) Assisting in preparing and updating program-specific 1
individualized transitional reentry and employment readiness plans 2
based on assessment scores of the employment readiness scale;3
(vi) In collaboration with the department, assisting in 4
developing a postrelease transitional support system with timely and 5
measurable steps that supports a participant's transitional reentry 6
and employment readiness plan created in (b)(v) of this subsection;7
(vii) Providing approved immediate family support services 8
outlined in section 3 of this act; 9
(viii) Conducting regular virtual or in-person check-ins to 10
measure progress of soft skills development; 11
(ix) Assisting with career development skills; and12
(x) Utilizing funding from federal, state, and local agencies to 13
support participants or their immediate family. 14
(4) To be eligible for services under the program, an individual 15
must: 16
(a) Be a justice involved veteran: 17
(i) Within 24 months of release from incarceration or within 24 18
months postincarceration; or 19
(ii) Participating in a pretrial diversion program 18 to 24 20
months in length in Pierce, King, or Snohomish county;21
(b) Complete the employment readiness scale biannually to measure 22
self-efficacy and outcome expectancy; and 23
(c) Complete a career research project. 24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Subject to amounts appropriated for 25
this specific purpose, the college board and the selected community 26
college shall collaborate with the department of veterans affairs to 27
develop eligibility criteria for approved immediate family of 28
participants to receive funds to assist in:29
(a) Rental support not to exceed $1,000 per month up to 12 months 30
paid directly to the landlord, housing provider, or mortgage holder;31
(b) Food assistance not to exceed $500 per month up to six 32
months; 33
(c) Driver's license fees including unpaid fines, auto insurance 34
premiums, auto registration fees, public transportation, and auto 35
repair expenses not to exceed $1,000 within 24 months; and36
(d) Purchasing work appropriate clothing and training 37
certificates not to exceed $1,500 within 24 months.38
p. 3 HB 1161
(2) No funds allocated under subsection (1) of this section may 1
be used for unpaid child support or legal financial obligation fines.2
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Subject to amounts appropriated for this 3
specific purpose, the department shall:4
(1) Develop and implement processes by which it can identify and 5
approve participation of any qualifying justice involved veterans 6
incarcerated in a correctional facility or under department 7
supervision in the program; 8
(2) Assist participants incarcerated in a correctional facility 9
with receiving correspondence, textbooks, and other curriculum; and10
(3) Document participation of justice involved veterans 11
incarcerated in a correctional facility in the program to ensure 12
sufficient recordkeeping and facilitate uninterrupted participation 13
in the program in the event a participant is transferred to another 14
correctional facility. 15
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Subject to amounts appropriated for 16
this specific purpose, the department of veterans affairs shall:17
(a) Assign two full-time equivalent veteran service officers or 18
staff members trained in the benefits available to veterans to 19
collect data on veterans entering a correctional facility and 20
veterans under department supervision; and 21
(b) Share data collected under (a) of this subsection with the 22
college board and the selected community college. 23
(2) A national veterans organization may provide the veteran 24
service officers or staff members assigned in subsection (1)(a) of 25
this section. 26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. An interagency work group of the college 27
board, the department of veterans affairs, and the selected community 28
college is created to analyze the feasibility of expanding the 29
program statewide. By December 1, 2025, the work group must submit a 30
report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature 31
pursuant to RCW 43.01.036.32
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. In compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the 33
college board, in collaboration with the selected community college 34
and the department of veterans affairs, shall report to the 35
p. 4 HB 1161
legislature by November 1, 2025, and by July 1st annually thereafter 1
on: 2
(1) The number of participants and immediate family participating 3
in the program; 4
(2) The level of educational attainment of participants;5
(3) Employment statistics of participants; 6
(4) Recidivism rates of participants; and 7
(5) The nature and extent of assistance participants received 8
under the program. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 7 of this act expire 10
August 1, 2031.11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 8 of this act 12
constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.13
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