AN ACT Relating to creating a legislative page scholarship program; adding new sections to chapter 44.04 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 42.52 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:

The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives may administer and conduct a legislative page scholarship program to provide resources for Washington students who participate in the page programs of the senate or house of representatives. The scholarship program should provide assistance to students, based on financial need, who qualify for a page program. The program is called the Gina Grant Bull memorial legislative page scholarship program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives may solicit and accept gifts, grants, conveyances, bequests, and devises of real or personal property, or both, in trust or otherwise, and sell, lease, exchange, invest, or expend these donations or the proceeds, rents, profits, and income from the donations except as limited by the donor's terms. Any legislative member or legislative employee may solicit the same types of contributions for the secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives.

(2) Moneys received under this section may be used only for establishing and operating the legislative page scholarship program authorized in section 1 of this act.

(3) Moneys received under this section must be deposited in the legislative page scholarship account established in section 3 of this act.

(4) The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives must adopt joint rules to govern and protect the receipt and expenditure of the proceeds.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:

The legislative page scholarship account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All moneys received under section 1 of this act must be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the account may be made only for the purposes of the legislative page scholarship program in section 1 of this act. Only the secretary of the senate or the chief clerk of the house of representatives or their designee may authorize expenditures from the account. An appropriation is not required for expenditures, but the account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 42.52 RCW to read as follows:

This chapter does not prohibit the secretary of the senate, the chief clerk of the house of representatives, or their designee from soliciting and accepting contributions to the legislative page scholarship account created in section 2 of this act. Furthermore, this chapter does not prohibit any legislative member or legislative employee from soliciting gifts for the legislative page scholarship account.

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