H-4060.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2797
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives G. Cole, Moak, Wineberry, Leonard, Holm, Conway, Karahalios and Cothern)
Read first time 02/04/94.
AN ACT Relating to education of juvenile offenders; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that institutionalized juvenile offenders have special educational needs. Fulfillment of these needs is essential to an effective program of juvenile offender rehabilitation.
Serious fragmentation in the administration and organizational structure of the education program in institutions for juvenile delinquents has hampered efforts to develop an effective education program for these youth.
The legislature finds that assigning responsibility for the education program in these institutions to a single entity will improve the educational services provided to juvenile offenders.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. During the 1995 legislative session, the legislature intends to consolidate within a single entity the responsibility for providing educational services to juvenile offenders who are in the custody of the department of social and health services in institutions for juvenile delinquents. The legislature intends to implement this change beginning with the 1995-96 school year. To this end, the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a juvenile offender education task force.
(1) The membership of the task force shall consist of the following:
(a) The superintendent of public instruction, or the superintendent's designee;
(b) Two superintendents of state institutions for juvenile delinquents, to be selected by the superintendents of the state-operated institutions for juvenile delinquents;
(c) The secretary of the department of social and health services, or the secretary's designee;
(d) Four educators who have had experience working with institutionalized youth, to be selected by the superintendent of public instruction;
(e) Two superintendents from school districts in which state institutions for juvenile delinquents are located, to be selected by the superintendent of public instruction; and
(f) Two legislators, with one selected by the speaker of the house of representatives and one selected by the president of the senate.
(2) Members of the task force shall select a chair from among their members.
(3) The task force shall develop recommendations on: (a) The type of education program that should be provided in these institutions; (b) what qualifications should be required of staff; (c) what single administrative structure should be used to provide the education program; (d) what actions are necessary to implement the consolidation of administrative authority; and (e) the appropriate funding level for juvenile offender education programs in these institutions.
(4) The task force recommendations shall be submitted by December 1, 1994, to the legislature, the superintendent of public instruction, and the secretary of the department of social and health services.
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