Washington HB 1316: Expanding the scope of programs for postsecondary students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth.

Bill Text

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 2025 c 92 s 1 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 a public tribal college located in Washington and 10
accredited by the northwest commission on colleges and universities 11
or another accrediting association recognized by the United States 12
department of education may implement a program to provide assistance 13
to students experiencing homelessness and to students who were in the 14
foster care system when they graduated high school. The program must 15
provide certain accommodations to these students that may include, 16
but are not limited to, the following:17
(a) Access to laundry facilities;18
(b) Access to storage;19
(c) Access to locker room and shower facilities;20
(d) Reduced-price meals or meal plans, and access to food banks;21
H-2953.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1316
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives
Leavitt, Valdez, Shavers, Davis, Reed, Salahuddin, Pollet, Nance,
Doglio, and Timmons)
READ FIRST TIME 02/09/26.
p. 1 SHB 1316

(e) Access to technology;1
(f) Access to short-term housing or housing assistance, 2
especially during seasonal breaks; and3
(g) Case management services.4
(2) The public four-year institutions of higher education, their 5
respective university campuses pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW, and 6
the tribal college may also establish plans to develop surplus 7
property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of students 8
experiencing homelessness and students who were in the foster care 9
system when they graduated high school.10
(3) The public four-year institutions of higher education, their 11
respective university campuses pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW, and 12
the tribal college participating in the program shall leverage 13
existing community resources by making available to students in the 14
program information that is available for individuals experiencing 15
homelessness, including through not-for-profit organizations, the 16
local housing authority, and the department of commerce's office of 17
homeless youth.18
(4) The public four-year institutions of higher education, their 19
respective university campuses pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW, and 20
the tribal college participating in the program shall annually 21
provide a joint report to the appropriate committees of the 22
legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036 beginning December 1, 23
2023, that includes at least the following information:24
(a) The number of students experiencing homelessness or food 25
insecurity, and the number of students who were in the foster care 26
system when they graduated high school who attended a public four-27
year institution of higher education, its respective university 28
campus pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW, or a tribal college during the 29
program. The council shall coordinate with all of the public four-30
year institutions of higher education, their respective university 31
campuses pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW, and the tribal college to 32
collect voluntary data on how many students experiencing homelessness 33
or food insecurity are attending the public four-year institutions of 34
higher education, their respective university campuses pursuant to 35
chapter 28B.45 RCW, and the tribal college;36
(b) The number of students assisted by the program;37
(c) Strategies for accommodating students experiencing 38
homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students; and39
p. 2 SHB 1316

(d) Legislative recommendations for how students experiencing 1
homelessness or food insecurity, and former foster care students 2
could be better served.3
(5) For purposes of this section, "program" means the students 4
experiencing homelessness and foster youth program.5
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p. 3 SHB 1316