Allows the Department of Early Learning and the Department of Social and Health Services to share federal fingerprint-based background check results to fulfill their joint background check responsibility of checking any individual who may have unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, children, or juveniles. Neither department may share the federal background check results with any other state agency or person. The Secretary of DSHS must require a fingerprint-based background check through both the Washington State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Companion: SB 5426).   Official Text and Analysis.

To require the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Early Learning to share federal fingerprint-based background check information results to fulfill their respective background check responsibilities.

To clarify that a peer counselor is not considered to have unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16 when the contact is incidental contact and the contact occurs at the location where the peer counseling takes place. Incidental contact means minor or casual contact with a child in an area accessible to and within visual and auditory range of others. Incidental contact could include passing a child while walking down a hallway but would not include being alone with a child for any period of time in a closed room or office. A peer counselor is defined as a nonprofessional person who has equal standing with another person and provides advice on a topic about which the nonprofessional person is more experienced or knowledgeable. A peer counselor must be a counselor for a peer counseling program that contracts with or is otherwise approved by DSHS, another state or local agency, or the court.

To clarify that a peer counselor is not considered to have unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16 when the contact is incidental contact and the contact occurs at the location where the peer counseling takes place. Incidental contact means minor or casual contact with a child in an area accessible to and within visual and auditory range of others. Incidental contact could include passing a child while walking down a hallway but would not include being alone with a child for any period of time in a closed room or office. A peer counselor is defined as a nonprofessional person who has equal standing with another person and provides advice on a topic about which the nonprofessional person is more experienced or knowledgeable. A peer counselor must be a counselor for a peer counseling program that contracts with or is otherwise approved by DSHS, another state or local agency, or the court.

House concurred with the Senate amendments.

To clarify that a peer counselor is not considered to have unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16 when the contact is incidental contact and the contact occurs at the location where the peer counseling takes place. Incidental contact means minor or casual contact with a child in an area accessible to and within visual and auditory range of others. Incidental contact could include passing a child while walking down a hallway but would not include being alone with a child for any period of time in a closed room or office. A peer counselor is defined as a nonprofessional person who has equal standing with another person and provides advice on a topic about which the nonprofessional person is more experienced or knowledgeable. A peer counselor must be a counselor for a peer counseling program that contracts with or is otherwise approved by DSHS, another state or local agency, or the court.