Bill > SB6085

This bill aims to increase transparency and ensure that expenditures from the institutional welfare account, which funds benefits for incarcerated individuals such as family visitation, recreation, and reentry services, are informed by the actual needs and experiences of those individuals and their families. It amends existing law to clarify that the institutional welfare account will receive funds from legislative appropriations, donations, gifts, grants, and federal or private sources, in addition to existing revenue. Crucially, the bill mandates that the Department of Corrections develop a process for approving expenditures that actively incorporates feedback from incarcerated individuals and their families, and requires the department to establish ongoing feedback mechanisms, including surveys and opportunities for input from affinity groups comprised of incarcerated individuals. Furthermore, the department must annually compile and review this feedback to identify high-priority expenditures and, starting in December 2026, publish a public report detailing all expenditures from the account on a facility-by-facility basis, along with a description of the feedback solicitation process and a summary of the collected feedback.

Labor and Employment

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6085&Year=2025&Initiative=false