Postsecondary homelessness

AN ACT Relating to expanding the scope of programs for 1
postsecondary students experiencing homelessness and former foster 2
youth; and amending RCW 28B.77.850. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.77.850 and 2023 c 339 s 2 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 7
specific purpose, each public four-year institution of higher 8
education, their respective university campuses pursuant to chapter 9
28B.45 RCW, and the tribal college may implement a program to provide 10
assistance to students experiencing homelessness and to students who 11
were in the foster care system when they graduated high school. The 12
program must provide certain accommodations to these students that 13
may include, but are not limited to, the following:14
(a) Access to laundry facilities; 15
(b) Access to storage; 16
(c) Access to locker room and shower facilities;17
(d) Reduced-price meals or meal plans, and access to food banks;18
(e) Access to technology; 19
(f) Access to short-term housing or housing assistance, 20
especially during seasonal breaks; and 21
H-0396.1
HOUSE BILL 1316
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Leavitt, Caldier, Shavers, Davis, Reed,
Salahuddin, Pollet, Nance, Doglio, and Timmons
Read first time 01/15/25. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 1316
(g) Case management services. 1
(2) The public four-year institutions of higher education , their 2
respective university campuses, and the tribal college may also 3
establish plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to 4
accommodate the needs of students experiencing homelessness and 5
students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high 6
school. 7
(3) The public four-year institutions of higher education , their 8
respective university campuses, and the tribal college participating 9
in the program shall leverage existing community resources by making 10
available to students in the program information that is available 11
for individuals experiencing homelessness, including through not-for-12
profit organizations, the local housing authority, and the department 13
of commerce's office of homeless youth. 14
(4) The public four-year institutions of higher education , their 15
respective university campuses, and the tribal college participating 16
in the program shall annually provide a joint report to the 17
appropriate committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 18
43.01.036 beginning December 1, 2023, that includes at least the 19
following information: 20
(a) The number of students experiencing homelessness or food 21
insecurity, and the number of students who were in the foster care 22
system when they graduated high school who attended a public four-23
year institution of higher education , its respective university 24
campus, or the tribal college during the program. The council shall 25
coordinate with all of the four-year institutions of higher 26
education, their respective university campuses, and the tribal 27
college to collect voluntary data on how many students experiencing 28
homelessness or food insecurity are attending the four-year 29
institutions of higher education , their respective university 30
campuses, and the tribal college; 31
(b) The number of students assisted by the program;32
(c) Strategies for accommodating students experiencing 33
homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students; and34
(d) Legislative recommendations for how students experiencing 35
homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students 36
could be better served. 37
(5) For purposes of this section, (("program")) the following 38
definitions apply:39
p. 2 HB 1316
(a) "Program" means the students experiencing homelessness and 1
foster youth program;2
(b) "Tribal college" means a public tribal college located in 3
Washington and accredited by the northwest commission on colleges and 4
universities or another accrediting association recognized by the 5
United States department of education. 6
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p. 3 HB 1316