Improving developmentally appropriate alternatives for youth outside the formal court process.

 S-1122.1

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5426

State of Washington

69th Legislature

2025 Regular Session

By Senate Human Services (originally sponsored by Senators C. Wilson, Frame, Hasegawa, Nobles, Saldaña, Trudeau, and Valdez)

READ FIRST TIME 02/06/25.

AN ACT Relating to improving developmentally appropriate alternatives for youth outside the formal court process; amending RCW 13.40.020 , 13.40.080 , 13.06.010 , 13.06.030 , 13.06.040 , and 2.56.032 ; adding a new section to chapter 13.40 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 13.06 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that youth diverted from the justice system have lower likelihood for future arrests, higher rates of school completion and college enrollment, and earn higher incomes in adulthood than youth who are adjudicated through the court process.

(2) The legislature further finds that there is significant cost benefit to offering youth diversion. A 2019 Washington state institute for public policy analysis found that diverting youth returned a societal benefit of more than $11,000 per dollar spent due to lower recidivism rates and improved outcomes.