This bill amends RCW 13.34.212 to change procedures for appointing attorneys for children in dependency and termination proceedings. It creates new timing rules that require a court to appoint an attorney for a child six months after a petition to terminate the parent-child relationship is granted when no parent with parental rights remains, and sets age-based appointment triggers for dependency and termination cases (children under 8 upon filing of a termination petition; children ages 8–17 upon filing of a new dependency petition at or before the shelter care hearing). The bill also permits one attorney to represent a group of siblings unless a conflict or professional conduct rules prevent it, and explicitly excludes appellate representation from the state-paid services. The bill makes procedural and funding changes: subject to available appropriations and compliance with standards, caseload limits, and training guidelines adopted by identified work groups, the state will pay costs for attorneys appointed under the six-month termination rule, with the Office of Civil Legal Aid responsible for implementing that payment authority per RCW 2.53.045. It requires notification to children about their right to request an attorney beginning at age 12 (with annual repetition and at certain filings), directs courts to inquire about notice and representation at specified hearings (including after a child’s 12th and 15th birthdays), and allows caregivers or others to refer or retain an attorney to file a motion for appointment at public expense. The bill directs a statewide children’s legal representation program to develop a county-by-county 11-year phased-in schedule (capped at adding no more than 1,250 cases per fiscal year) with specified county milestones and full statewide implementation by January 1, 2032, and assigns that program responsibilities for recruitment, training, oversight, and ensuring compliance with professional rules and practices. Certain details are not included in the extracted text: the bill refers to "the department" without identifying which state department; the statutory establishment or detailed structure of the statewide children's legal representation program is not provided here; the specific standards, caseload limits, and training guidelines referenced are adopted in other laws and are not included; and the excerpted dates suggest the amendment modifies an existing phased schedule but the prior schedule or legislative history is not shown.

If enacted, many more children in dependency and termination cases will get a court-appointed lawyer earlier: children under 8 when a termination petition is filed, and children 8–17 when a new dependency petition is filed or at the shelter care hearing. Courts will have to ask about and, in many cases, appoint counsel at set hearings and the Office of Civil Legal Aid is tasked with paying for attorneys appointed under the six-month post-termination rule when funding and standards are met. Implementation will be phased county-by-county over up to 11 years, adding no more than 1,250 cases a year and aiming for statewide coverage by January 1, 2032, which means access will increase over time and unevenly across counties during the phase-in. The people and entities most affected are children in these cases (who will likely get better access to legal advocacy), county courts and local stakeholders (who must comply with appointment timelines and coordinate with the statewide program), the Office of Civil Legal Aid and the statewide children’s legal representation program (which gain new payment, recruitment, training, and oversight responsibilities), and attorneys (who must meet caseload, training, and ethical standards). Costs may shift toward the state for some appointed counsel but remain subject to appropriations and the phased rollout, so counties may still incur costs or transitional responsibilities; the bill text does not identify which state “department” is referenced nor does it include the detailed standards and program structure, leaving some implementation details unclear.