Dec. 1, 2020

OLYMPIA – Starting with the 2021 legislative session, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle) will join the Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee*.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues on this committee to address problems that have been laid bare or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Saldaña. “We must center racial justice in our efforts to ensure all Washingtonians are protected by our social safety net, and to protect the health and safety of those who are in the state’s custody.”

“I am very concerned with racial disproportionality in the criminal legal system and outcomes for individuals who experience incarceration,” she added. “We must center the needs of these individuals and their families to bring about restoration and to equip them to successfully rejoin our communities.”

The Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation Committee addresses an array of issues including:

  • Strengthening the social safety net, to ensure benefits such as food assistance, cash assistance, and disability benefits are available to those in need, even in the face of increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Ensuring child welfare and well-being by protecting children from abuse and providing services to families in crisis, as well as prioritizing the needs of children with disabilities and their families.
  • Working to reform the juvenile justice system by providing therapeutic services to youth in a safe rehabilitative environment to reduce the likelihood of re-offending.
  • Keeping communities safe by providing the tools for safe and successful reentry to the community after incarceration.

Saldaña will also continue to serve as vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and as a member of the Labor & Commerce Committee in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 11, 2021.

*Committee assignments are determined by each caucus and are effective for two years. Committee assignments are not official until they receive a confirmation vote by the full Senate, which will take place at the start of the 2021 legislative session.