WA HB1161

Establishes the Veteran Employability Training and Career Advancement for Reentry (VETCAR) program within the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to provide transitional and soft skills training to justice-involved veterans within 24 months of release or participating in pretrial diversion programs in Pierce, King, or Snohomish counties

Requires selection of one community college west of the Cascades to employ a full-time reentry and educational navigator who conducts intake interviews, verifies military service, develops individualized reentry plans, and coordinates with the Department of Corrections and WorkSource

Provides financial assistance to participants' immediate families including rental support up to $1,000/month for 12 months, food assistance up to $500/month for 6 months, transportation costs up to $1,000 within 24 months, and work clothing/training certificates up to $1,500 within 24 months

Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to assign two full-time veteran service officers to collect data on veterans entering correctional facilities or under supervision and share that data with the program

Creates an interagency work group to analyze statewide expansion feasibility with a report due December 1, 2025; program expires August 1, 2031