Institutional welfare acct

AN ACT Relating to the transparency in expenditures from the 1
institutional welfare account; amending RCW 72.09.092; adding a new 2
section to chapter 72.09 RCW; and creating a new section.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that providing 5
incarcerated individuals with meaningful opportunities for personal 6
enrichment, family visitation and contact, recreation, and related 7
activities supports rehabilitation and prosocial behavior and 8
contributes to institutional safety and well-being. The legislature 9
further recognizes the importance of ensuring that expenditures from 10
the institutional welfare account are informed by the lived 11
experiences and real-time needs of incarcerated individuals.12
Accordingly, the legislature intends to formalize a collaborative 13
process among the department of corrections and the incarcerated 14
individuals served by the institutional welfare account. To promote 15
equitable and informed decision making, the legislature further finds 16
that community and affinity groups comprised of currently 17
incarcerated individuals should be consulted to the greatest extent 18
practicable. 19
The legislature intends for the department of corrections to make 20
reasonable efforts to establish and maintain an ongoing feedback loop 21
S-3834.1
SENATE BILL 6085
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators C. Wilson, Nobles, and Wellman
Read first time 01/13/26. Referred to Committee on Human Services.
p. 1 SB 6085
among incarcerated individuals, their families, and the department 1
regarding the availability and quality of goods, services, and 2
programs at correctional institutions managed by the department.3
Sec. 2. RCW 72.09.092 and 2025 c 399 s 10 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) The institutional welfare account is created in the state 6
treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after 7
appropriation. The account shall consist of all moneys in the 8
incarcerated individual betterment fund held by the department as of 9
July 1, 2025, ((and)) any revenue and receipts into the incarcerated 10
individual betterment fund on or after July 1, 2025 , and all receipts 11
from legislative appropriations, donations, gifts, grants, and funds 12
from federal or private sources . Expenditures from the account may be 13
used only for the benefit of incarcerated individuals within the 14
department. Such benefits include, but are not limited to, support 15
for family visitation, prison visiting areas and extended family 16
visit programs, family-centered activities, ((law library books, )) 17
subscriptions, recreation and hobby expenditures, reentry services, 18
and television system, phone, and computer communication 19
expenditures. 20
(2) The department shall develop a process for approving 21
expenditures from the institutional welfare account that is informed 22
by the real-time needs and lived experiences of incarcerated 23
individuals and their families.24
(3) No funds received by the institutional welfare account may be 25
used for the creation or maintenance of a law library.26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 72.09 27
RCW to read as follows: 28
(1) The department shall make reasonable efforts to establish and 29
maintain an ongoing feedback mechanism for incarcerated individuals 30
and their families, including through the use of surveys or other 31
methods, to gather information regarding the availability of, and 32
need for, additional benefits as described in RCW 72.09.092. At a 33
minimum, the department shall: 34
(a) Provide regular opportunities for incarcerated individuals to 35
submit feedback regarding the availability and quality of services, 36
goods, and programs at the facility in which they are currently 37
housed. 38
p. 2 SB 6085
(b) Provide family members of incarcerated individuals with 1
opportunities to submit feedback regarding the visitation process and 2
the availability and quality of services, goods, and programs at the 3
facility in which the incarcerated individual is housed.4
(c) At least annually, survey known affinity groups comprised of 5
currently incarcerated individuals to collect feedback regarding the 6
availability and quality of services, goods, and programs at 7
facilities managed by the department. 8
(2) At least annually, the department shall compile and review 9
all information collected pursuant to this subsection, including 10
surveys and other feedback instruments, and shall prepare a report 11
summarizing feedback from incarcerated individuals and their families 12
and identifying high-priority expenditures from the institutional 13
welfare account. 14
(3) Beginning December 31, 2026, and every December 31st 15
thereafter, the department must create a report and make it available 16
on their public website detailing all expenditures from the 17
institutional welfare account. The report shall include expenditure 18
information on a facility-by-facility basis and a description of the 19
process by which the department solicited feedback from incarcerated 20
individuals and their families. The report must also include the 21
information collected and summarized in subsection (2) of this 22
section. 23
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p. 3 SB 6085