H-0681.1                  _______________________________________________

                                                      HOUSE BILL 1196

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representative Riley

Read first time 01/20/93.  Referred to Committee on Corrections.

Requiring that priority be given to inmate art when selecting artwork for department of corrections construction projects.

          AN ACT Relating to the department of corrections; amending RCW 43.17.210; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the successful operation of the state's correctional system depends on providing productive activities for inmates, and that there are inmates who have demonstrated high levels of skill in fashioning and constructing works of art.  Further, under current state laws governing appropriations for prison construction, a significant amount of funding is available for purchase of works of art by the Washington state arts commission.  The purpose of this act is to provide an opportunity for inmates to sell their artwork to the arts commission, thereby creating an incentive for inmate artisans to continue to develop their skills, providing for public recognition of those skills, and establishing an additional means for inmates to meet their financial obligations.

        Sec. 2.  RCW 43.17.210 and 1990 c 33 s 575 are each amended to read as follows:

          The Washington state arts commission shall determine the amount to be made available for the purchase of art in consultation with the agency, except where another person or agency is specified under RCW 43.19.455, 28A.335.210, or 28B.10.025, and payments therefor shall be made in accordance with law.  The designation of projects and sites, selection, contracting, purchase, commissioning, reviewing of design, execution and placement, acceptance, maintenance, and sale, exchange, or disposition of works of art shall be the responsibility of the Washington state arts commission in consultation with the directors of the state agencies.  For department of corrections construction projects, the commission shall give priority to selecting works of art produced by inmates.  However, the costs to carry out the Washington state arts commission's responsibility for maintenance shall not be funded from the moneys referred to in RCW 43.17.200, 43.19.455, 28A.335.210, or 28B.10.025, but shall be contingent upon adequate appropriations being made for that purpose.

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