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                                ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 3517

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Bauer, Gaspard, Benitz, Moore, Bender, Rinehart and Johnson; by Temporary Committee on Educational Policies request)

Read first time 3/8/85.

AN ACT Relating to adult educational skills; adding a new section to chapter 28A.03 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature is concerned that at least two hundred fifty thousand citizens of the state have been determined to be functionally illiterate, operating with educational skills at or below the eighth grade level, which is a condition which prevents them from fully participating in the democratic process and society at large.  In order to begin a program to raise the educational skills of these persons, the legislature intends to establish a coalition of individuals to address this issue.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish a state advisory literacy coalition to facilitate implementation and development of a state literacy program.  The coalition shall provide a formal connection among the programs serving adults needing to develop reading and writing skills and shall:

          (a) Publicize and promote adult literacy programs throughout the state to encourage participation by students and volunteers and heighten public awareness of this program;

          (b) Conduct research to identify the locations of persons needing services and to estimate the extent of the problem throughout the state;

          (c) Promote communication and the exchange of ideas among service providers; and

          (d) Promote and facilitate contributions of time, space, funds, and other support by business and industry for employees lacking the necessary reading and writing skills and for employees to become volunteers in the literacy program.

          (2) The members of the coalition shall be representative of business, labor, the legislature, the department of corrections, the department of social and health services, the state board for community college education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state library, public libraries, persons eligible to participate or participating in the program, volunteer organizations, and other community organizations professionally involved in promoting literacy in the state.  The representatives of the state agencies shall be designated by the heads of their respective agencies.  The other members of the coalition shall be selected by the superintendent of public instruction.  The members of the coalition shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The sum of forty-nine thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.