Legislative Digest No. 43

	WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
Legislative Digest No. 43

SIXTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE
Thursday, March 12, 2009		60th Day - 2009 Regular Session

SENATE

SB 5502-S

HOUSE

HB 1007-S2	HB 1078-S2	HB 1123-S	HB 1131-S	HB 1669-S	HB 1701-S2	HB 1747-S2
HB 1808-S	HB 2029-S2

This publication includes digest and history for bills, joint memorials, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, initiatives, and substitutes. Engrossed measures may be republished if the amendment makes a substantive change.

Electronic versions of Legislative Digests are available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/digests.aspx?year=2009.

House Bills

HB 1007-S2

by House Committee on Capital Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Morris, Chase, Morrell, Liias, Anderson, Upthegrove, Seaquist, Hudgins, and Moeller)

Creating a sustainable energy trust.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Requires the housing finance commission, if economically feasible, to develop and implement a sustainable energy trust program to provide financing for qualified improvement projects. In developing the sustainable energy trust program, the commission shall establish eligibility criteria for financing that will enable it to choose eligible applicants who are likely to repay loans made or acquired by the commission and funded from the proceeds of commission bonds.

Prohibits general fund resources from being expended to implement the program.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 26	Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 1:30 PM.
Feb 12	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 10:00 AM.
Feb 24	Public hearing in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 1:30 PM.
Feb 27	CB - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 1:30 PM.
Mar 2	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 5	Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	2nd substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 85; nays, 10; absent, 0; excused, 2.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Environment, Water & Energy.

HB 1078-S2

by House Committee on General Government Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Kelley, Roach, Kirby, Warnick, Bailey, and Sells)

Concerning exchange facilitators.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Creates a statutory framework that provides consumer protections to those who entrust money or property to persons acting as exchange facilitators.

Penalizes a person who engages in business as an exchange facilitator and who violates certain provisions of the act.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 22	Public hearing in the House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance at 1:30 PM.
Feb 17	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance at 8:30 AM.
Feb 26	APPG - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Public hearing in the House Committee on General Government Appropriations at 8:00 AM.
	Public hearing and executive action taken in the House Committee on General Government Appropriations at 4:00 PM.
Mar 2	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 5	Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	2nd substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance.

HB 1123-S

by House Committee on Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Campbell, Morrell, Hunter, Pedersen, Chase, Ormsby, Simpson, Wood, and Conway)

Reducing the spread of multidrug resistant organisms.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Requires a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW to: (1) By January 1, 2010, adopt a policy regarding methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); and

(2) After identifying a hospitalized patient who has a diagnosis of MRSA, report the infection to the department of health using the department's comprehensive hospital abstract reporting system.

Requires the advisory committee, created by the department of health in RCW 43.70.056, to make a recommendation to the department of health as to whether current science supports expanding presurgical screening for MRSA before open chest cardiac, total hip, and total knee elective surgeries.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 27	Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.
Feb 20	HCW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.
Feb 23	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 6	Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 97; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 0.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Health & Long-Term Care.

HB 1131-S

by House Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade (originally sponsored by Representatives Kenney, Pettigrew, Haler, Ericks, Bailey, Liias, Hasegawa, Hudgins, Darneille, Chase, Dunshee, Kelley, Sullivan, and Nelson)

Concerning the Washington state economic development commission.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Requires the economic development commission to: (1) Provide the governor and legislature with policy analysis, strategic planning, program evaluation, and monitoring of the state's economic development system;

(2) Consult, collaborate, and coordinate with other state agencies and local organizations when developing plans, inventories, and assessments to avoid duplication of effort; and

(3) Use the small agency client services within the office of financial management for accounting, budgeting, and payroll services.

Authorizes the economic development commission to accept gifts, grants, donations, sponsorships, or contributions from any federal, state, or local governmental agency or program or any private source and expend the same for any purpose consistent with the provisions of chapter 43.162 RCW (economic development commission).

Prohibits the economic development commission, in order to maintain its leadership and concentration on strategic planning, coordination, and assessment of the economic development system as a whole, from taking an administrative role in the delivery of services.

Creates the Washington state economic development commission fund.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Jan 26	Public hearing in the House Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade at 1:30 PM.
Feb 11	CEDT - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade at 8:00 AM.
Feb 17	Referred to General Government Appropriations.
Feb 25	APPG - Executive action taken by committee.
	APPG - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Community & Economic Development & Trade.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Public hearing and executive action taken in the House Committee on General Government Appropriations at 1:30 PM.
Mar 2	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 5	Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 56; nays, 40; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.

HB 1669-S

by House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance (originally sponsored by Representatives Hunt, Hasegawa, Appleton, Miloscia, Warnick, Kirby, Williams, and Ormsby)

Addressing the deposit of public funds.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Allows the deposit of public funds into credit unions.

Requires a credit union approved as a public depositary by the public deposit protection commission to at all times pledge and segregate eligible securities in an amount equal to one hundred percent of all public funds on deposit in the public depositary.

Prohibits a credit union approved as a public depositary by the public deposit protection commission from accepting funds in excess of certain deposit insurance limits.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 5	Public hearing in the House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance at 1:30 PM.
Feb 17	FII - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance at 8:30 AM.
Feb 19	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Feb 26	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Mar 9	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 58; nays, 39; absent, 0; excused, 0.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

HB 1701-S2

by House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Hudgins, McCoy, and Hasegawa)

Authorizing the department of information services to engage in high-speed internet activities.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Pursues deployment and adoption of high-speed internet services in the state to promote economic development and the creation of green jobs, with the ultimate goal of making high-speed internet more readily available throughout the state.

Designates the department of information services as an entity for purposes of the broadband data improvement act, P.L. 110-385.

Requires the department of information services, subject to the availability of federal or state funding appropriated for this specific purpose, to implement a high-speed internet deployment and adoption strategy on behalf of the state beginning in areas with an uptake rate for high-speed internet below the state median.

Authorizes the department of information services to: (1) Receive federal funds made available for broadband or high-speed internet purposes according to the provisions of the acts of congress making the funds available; and

(2) Through a competitive bidding process, procure on behalf of the state a geographic information system map detailing high-speed internet infrastructure, service availability, and adoption.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 4	Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 8:00 AM.
Feb 12	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 10:00 AM.
Feb 27	Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 2	WAYS - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 6	Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	2nd substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 93; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 2.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Economic Development, Trade & Innovation.

HB 1747-S2

by House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Rolfes, Chase, Upthegrove, Hasegawa, Eddy, Liias, Ormsby, Pedersen, Dunshee, McCoy, Morris, Carlyle, Dickerson, Hudgins, Moeller, Sells, Kenney, White, and Nelson)

Reducing climate pollution in the built environment.

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Requires the department of community, trade, and economic development to develop and implement a strategic plan for enhancing energy efficiency in and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from homes, building, districts, and neighborhoods.

Directs the department of community, trade, and economic development and the state building code council to convene a work group to inform the initial development of the strategic plan.

Requires the state energy code to be designed to construct increasingly energy efficient homes and buildings that help achieve the broader goal of building zero fossil-fuel greenhouse gas emission homes and buildings by the year 2031.

Requires the state building code council to: (1) Evaluate and consider adoption of the international energy conservation code in this state in place of the existing state energy code; and

(2) Adopt state energy codes from 2013 through 2031 that incrementally move towards achieving seventy percent reduction in annual net energy consumption.

Requires qualifying utilities to: (1) Maintain records of the energy consumption data of all nonresidential and qualifying public agency buildings to which they provide service;

(2) Create an energy benchmark for each reporting public facility using a portfolio manager;

(3) Report to the department of general administration, the environmental protection agency national energy performance rating for each reporting public facility included in the technical requirements for this rating; and

(4) Link all portfolio manager accounts to the state portfolio manager master account to facilitate public reporting.

Requires the department of community, trade, and economic development to recommend to the legislature a methodology to determine an energy performance score for residential buildings and an implementation strategy to use such information to improve the energy efficiency of the state's existing housing supply.

Requires the department of general administration to:(1) Establish a state portfolio manager master account;

(2) Select a standardized portfolio manager report for reporting public facilities;

(3) In collaboration with the United States environmental protection agency, make the standard report of each reporting public facility available to the public through the portfolio manager web site;

(4) Develop a technical assistance program to facilitate the implementation of a preliminary audit and the investment grade energy audit and design the program to utilize audit services provided by utilities or energy services contracting companies when possible;

(5) In consultation with the affected state agencies and the office of financial management, review the cost and delivery of agency programs to determine the viability of relocation when a facility leased by the state has a national energy performance rating score below fifty; and

(6) Conduct a review of facilities not covered by the national energy performance rating, and based on this review, develop a portfolio of additional facilities that require preliminary energy audits.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 2	Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 1:30 PM.
Feb 4	Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 8:00 AM.
Feb 19	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 10:00 AM.
Feb 27	Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 2	WAYS - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 6	Placed on second reading.
Mar 9	2nd substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 70; nays, 25; absent, 0; excused, 2.
-- IN THE SENATE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Environment, Water & Energy.

HB 1808-S

by House Committee on Education Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Hinkle, Morrell, Bailey, Green, and Kelley)

Creating an interdisciplinary work group for paramedic and nursing training.

(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 1ST SUBSTITUTE)

Requires the state board for community and technical colleges to create an interdisciplinary work group with faculty from a paramedic training program, an associate degree nursing program, and a bachelor's degree nursing program and a representative of the Washington center for nursing and the Washington state nursing association to review the training and curriculum of the programs to establish a set of recognized course equivalencies or skill competencies between the programs.

Expires December 1, 2010.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 11	Public hearing in the House Committee on Higher Education at 1:30 PM.
Feb 13	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Higher Education at 8:00 AM.
Feb 25	Public hearing in the House Committee on Education Appropriations at 8:00 AM.
Feb 26	APPE - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Education Appropriations at 9:00 AM.
Mar 2	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 9	Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
Mar 10	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1.

HB 2029-S2

by House Committee on Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Ericks, Morris, McCoy, Ormsby, Hudgins, Hunt, Takko, Springer, Van De Wege, Conway, Eddy, Hasegawa, Finn, Dunshee, Haigh, Kenney, Kessler, Morrell, and Goodman)

Concerning enhanced 911 emergency communications service.

(DIGEST OF PROPOSED 2ND SUBSTITUTE)

Finds that: (1) The state and counties should be provided with an additional revenue source to fund enhanced 911 emergency communication systems throughout the state on a multicounty, countywide, or district-wide basis; and

(2) The most efficient and appropriate method of deriving additional revenue for this purpose is to charge a service fee on the use of switched access lines, radio access lines, and interconnected voice over internet protocol service lines.

Removes state and county enhanced 911 excise tax provisions.

Creates a state and county enhanced 911 service fee.

Creates the county enhanced 911 service fee account and provides that expenditures from the account may be used only for distribution to counties imposing the enhanced 911 service fee.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 16	Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 1:30 PM.
Feb 19	Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology and Energy & Communications at 10:00 AM.
Feb 24	Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.
Mar 10	FIN - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Placed on second reading.

Senate Bills

SB 5502-S

by Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Keiser, Pflug, Franklin, Murray, Roach, Marr, Kohl-Welles, and Shin)

Establishing the primary care physician conditional tuition waiver program.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Finds that there is a critical shortage of primary care physicians in the state especially in rural areas.

Declares an intent to create incentives for medical school students to choose primary care practice for their medical careers.

Establishes the primary care physician conditional tuition waiver program to be administered by the University of Washington.

Requires the University of Washington to provide medical school students with information about the growth of patient and family-centered primary care medical homes throughout the state as a desirable and important strategy to improve quality of care.

Requires the University of Washington family medicine residency network to make every reasonable effort to work with community physicians to establish additional accredited new sites in underserved Washington to train primary care professionals, including physicians in family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics.

Expires July 1, 2019.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 3	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:00 AM.
Feb 24	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:00 AM.
Feb 25	HEWD - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 9	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 46; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Higher Education.

SB 5763-S

by Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators King, McAuliffe, Brandland, Haugen, Kastama, Kauffman, Oemig, Holmquist, Berkey, Eide, Shin, and Tom)

Requiring the adoption of policies for the management of concussion and head injury in youth sports.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Directs each school district's board of directors to work in concert with the Washington interscholastic activities association to develop guidelines and other pertinent information and forms to inform and educate coaches, youth athletes, and their parents and/or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including continuing to play after concussion or head injury.

Requires a youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game to be removed from competition at that time.

Authorizes the licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions to be a volunteer.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 9	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 1:30 PM.
Feb 16	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 1:30 PM.
Feb 17	EDU - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Feb 24	Made eligible to be placed on second reading.
Mar 3	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Mar 9	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 47; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Education.

SB 5873-S

by Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection (originally sponsored by Senators Kline, Keiser, Hobbs, Marr, Fairley, McAuliffe, Kohl-Welles, and Shin)

Regarding apprenticeship utilization.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Requires public works contracts awarded by four-year institutions of higher education to include apprenticeship utilization provisions.

Requires the Washington state apprenticeship and training council to adopt rules: (1) Necessary to implement the act;

(2) That address due process protections for all parties; and

(3) That strengthen the accountability for apprenticeship committees approved under chapter 49.04 RCW in enforcing the apprenticeship program standards adopted by the council.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 17	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce & Consumer Protection at 1:30 PM.
Feb 23	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce & Consumer Protection at 6:00 PM.
Feb 25	LCCP - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 5	Made eligible to be placed on second reading.
Mar 6	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Mar 9	1st substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 28; nays, 18; absent, 2; excused, 1.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Commerce & Labor.

SB 5925

by Senators Shin, Kastama, Jacobsen, Berkey, Hobbs, Franklin, Hargrove, and Kohl-Welles; by request of University of Washington

Regarding insurance for higher education students participating in study or research abroad.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Authorizes a governing board of a state institution of higher education to require its students who participate in studies or research outside of the United States sponsored, arranged, or approved by the institution to purchase, as a condition of participation, certain insurance approved by the governing board.

Prohibits requiring a student to purchase insurance if the student is covered under an insurance policy that will provide coverage for expenses incurred as a result of injury, illness, or death sustained while participating in the study or research abroad.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 6	First reading, referred to Higher Education & Workforce Development.
Feb 24	Public hearing and executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 10:00 AM.
Feb 25	HEWD - Majority; do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 3	Made eligible to be placed on second reading.
Mar 6	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Mar 9	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 41; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 3.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Higher Education.

SB 5941-S2

by Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Oemig, Kastama, Jarrett, McAuliffe, Marr, Hobbs, and Tom)

Regarding a comprehensive education data improvement system.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Establishes a comprehensive K-12 education data improvement system for financial, student, and educator data to monitor student progress, have information on the quality of the educator workforce, monitor and analyze the costs of programs, provide for financial integrity and accountability, and have the capability to link across these various data components by student, by class, by teacher, by school, by district, and statewide.

Provides independent review and evaluation of a comprehensive K-12 education data improvement system by assigning the review and monitoring responsibilities to the education data center and the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.

Establishes a K-12 data governance group within the educational data center to assist in the design and implementation of a K-12 education data improvement system for financial, student, and educator data.

Requires the office of the superintendent of public instruction, to the extent data is available, to make certain minimum reports available on the internet.

Requires the education data center and the superintendent of public instruction to take all actions necessary to secure federal funds to implement the act.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 12	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 10:00 AM.
Feb 18	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 6:00 PM.
Feb 27	Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 2	WM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
	Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
Mar 9	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
	2nd substitute bill substituted.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 35; nays, 13; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Education.

SB 6048

by Senators Oemig, Jarrett, McAuliffe, Hobbs, McDermott, Franklin, Kohl-Welles, and Haugen

Concerning the state's education system.

(AS OF SENATE 2ND READING 3/9/2009)

Finds ample evidence of a need for continuing to refine the program of basic education that is funded by the state and delivered by school districts.

Declares an intent to: (1) Continue to review, evaluate, and revise the definition and funding of basic education in order to continue to fulfill the state obligation under Article IX of the state Constitution to define and fund a program of basic education for children residing in the state and attending public schools;

(2) Continue to strengthen and modify the structure of the entire K-12 educational system, including nonbasic education programmatic elements, in order to build the capacity to anticipate and support potential future enhancements to basic education as the educational needs of our citizens continue to evolve;

(3) Build upon the previous efforts of the legislature and the work of the basic education task force, the state board of education, the professional educator standards board, and others;

(4) Fulfill the state's obligation under Article IX to establish a general and uniform system of public schools and build upon the actions previously taken by the legislature to address the inequities that exist in the current system;

(5) Begin a schedule for implementation of a redefined program of basic education and the resources necessary to support it, beginning in the 2011-12 school year; and

(6) Continue to review and revise the formulas and schedules and make additional revisions, including revisions for technical purposes and consistency in the event of mathematical or other technical errors.

Declares that when the system has the capacity to fully implement these reforms and enhancements they will be included in a definition and funding of basic education.

Declares that it is the intent of the legislature to maintain an active and ongoing role in monitoring and overseeing the development and implementation of the new basic education funding formula and redefinition of basic education.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Feb 18	First reading, referred to Early Learning & K-12 Education.
Feb 23	Public hearing and executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 1:30 PM.
Feb 24	EDU - Majority; do pass.
	Minority; do not pass.
	Minority; without recommendation.
	Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Mar 9	Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
	Floor amendment(s) adopted.
	Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
	Third reading, passed; yeas, 28; nays, 20; absent, 0; excused, 1.
-- IN THE HOUSE --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Education Appropriations.

SB 6121

by Senators Tom, Zarelli, and Keiser; by request of Department of Health

Regarding the surcharge to fund biotoxin testing and monitoring.

Creates the biotoxin account and provides funding for the account from certain surcharges on department of fish and wildlife licensing fees.

-- 2009 REGULAR SESSION --
Mar 11	First reading, referred to Ways & Means.